The moment an NFL star walked out on his multimillion-dollar contract

SOCIAL media has put plenty of athletes in hot water lately, but it actually ended one NFL star’s career — even if the fateful post was not exactly scandalous.

SOCIAL media has put plenty of athletes in hot water lately, but it actually ended Pat McAfee’s career — even if the fateful Instagram post was not exactly scandalous.

The former Colts punter decided he would call it quits during the 2016 season after an argument he had with then-general manager Ryan Grigson because the picture he posted was taken inside a “football room,” he revealed on his podcast Monday.

A few days after the Colts were blown out by the Steelers on Thanksgiving night in 2016, Grigson called McAfee into his office. The eighth-year pro figured Grigson might be extending a peace offering, after the GM had previously fined McAfee and called him the “lowest thing in the organisation,” but he quickly found out otherwise.

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Former Colts punter Pat McAfee. Picture: Getty Images

“He goes, ‘Sit down.’ And I’m like, ‘Woah,’” McAfee said. “Immediately. … There was already in my head an idea of me being sick of making money for Ryan Grigson and the Colts operation at the time. It was at that moment that I realised, ‘I’m (expletive) done here.’”

The issue Grigson wanted to discuss was an Instagram post that McAfee had taken, joking about a WWE promo. The problem was that it was taken inside an equipment room, breaking the Colts’ rule of no photos in a “football room.”

“He has the picture on a piece of paper, slams it on the desk, pushes it across the desk to me and I look at it,” McAfee said. “At this moment in my head, I’ve already said ‘(expletive) it’ to this guy. I look at the photo and look up at him. It’s like a moment of silence.”

McAfee said Grigson pulled out his contract and pointed to a clause that said he could fine him a game check for the photo because it wasn’t his first offence.

“You only get 17 game checks in your entire salary, so if you want to look up what that was, it was $100,000 almost,” McAfee said. “I said, ‘For what?’ He said, ‘Is that a football room?’ I said, ‘Well the title is an equipment room. There’s footballs in there I guess.’ He goes, ‘Why do you have to be such a smartass? I can fine you anything I want. This is why we’re losing.’ This is why we lost to the Steelers, he tells me.”

That set McAfee off as he railed against Grigson for his decision making elsewhere.

“I said, ‘You paid a guy [Andrew Luck] $140 million and you can’t keep him healthy,” McAfee said. “Your offensive line is Swiss cheese. He’s blown out his shoulder three times, and you’re worried about this (expletive)?’ He goes, ‘What did you just say to me?’ I go, ‘Oh yeah, I’m the best in the game at what I do. I wish you would do the same.’

“This is a moment he did not expect. He goes, ‘You’re going to walk into my office and disrespect me?’ I go, ‘You called me in here.’ He said, ‘I’m going to fine you a whole game check.’ I said, ‘Cool bro,’ and literally walked out of his office. As I walk out, he gives me the, ‘Get out of my office.’ I go, ‘Already walking out.’”

McAfee then went down to coach Chuck Pagano’s office and shared some similar sentiments before leaving. By February, McAfee officially announced his retirement.

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This article originally appeared on the New York Post

Originally published as The moment an NFL star walked out on his multimillion-dollar contract