After eight seasons in the NFL, Pat McAfee is hanging up his cleats and picking up his laptop?

In a Super Bowl week surprise, the Colts punter, 29, said late Wednesday night that he is retiring from the league and joining growing media outlet Barstool Sports. His retirement announcement came in the form of a faux news conference.

In a lengthly note posted to Twitter, McAfee, thanked the Colts, team owner Jim Irsay, and the city of Indianapolis for the support over the years. He also noted that his new role at Barstool Sports will be based in the city he has called home for the past eight seasons.

The announcement comes as a shock, as McAfee still had two years remaining on his contract with Indianapolis. This past season, he set a franchise single-season record for gross punting average (49.3 yards).

McAfee said his recent knee surgery, his third in four years, helped contribute to his decision to retire.

Barstool Sports made headlines this week when the outlet’s Super Bowl credentials were pulled because of a “deflate-gate” sit-in at the league’s office.

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