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Pat McAfee has already enjoyed two successful-but-different chapters of his career to date, first as an NFL punter with the Indianapolis Colts and then as a podcast host with a nearly 3 million subscriber platform on YouTube.
Next up, the 39-year-old will be looking to leave his mark in the music industry.
McAfee announced he will release his debut album – "The Diary of a Polarizing Figure" – in a social media post on Wednesday, July 22.
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"For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts," McAfee wrote in the post. "I've been writing songs about it for [20 years and] it’s time to let them aht (sic)."
McAfee noted that he had been the subject to "a lot of headlines and narratives" as part of his post before revealing his ultimate goal for the album.
"If I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who their dad is," McAfee wrote.
"The Diary of a Polarizing Figure" is set to be released on August 14, 2026. McAfee did not provide a hint about the album's genre.
While "The Diary of a Polarizing Figure" will be the first album McAfee has released during his lifetime, it isn't the first song he has shared with the public. The 2014 All-Pro debuted his single "Dookie" – an explicit anthem celebrating his successful career and referring to his critics and haters as "dookie" – on Dec. 5, 2025.
Pat McAfee addresses ESPN layoffs
McAfee's album announcement comes on the heels of another round of layoffs at ESPN, which partners with "The Pat McAfee Show" and employs the 39-year-old as part of its "College GameDay" team during football season.
McAfee addressed those layoffs – referring to them as "terrible" – during the Tuesday, July 21 edition of his self-titled program.
"We hate any time this happens. Obviously this is terrible. We don’t like that," McAfee said. "But we are very honored that we are still partnered with ESPN and Disney for the good of sport and the future."
McAfee went on to individually praise several of the notable ESPN talents who had been a part of the layoffs, starting with Ryan Clark while also mentioning Karl Ravech and Tom Pelissero.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'People hate my guts.' Pat McAfee teases album 'The Diary of a Polarizing Figure'
