Report: FBI Told Pat McAfee To Wear Bulletproof Vest Over Death Threats

Pat McAfee, the former WWE Monday Night Raw commentator and ESPN personality, reportedly deals with regular death threats as part of his sky-high public profile — threats serious enough that the FBI once advised him to wear a bulletproof vest.

The detail surfaced as McAfee found himself in the headlines again following his appearance with ESPN’s College GameDay at the University of Utah over the weekend of October 24–25. McAfee voiced frustration with the university after its official Instagram account posted a video featuring students, a moment that put him back in the national spotlight just as the report about his security concerns emerged.

For wrestling fans, McAfee’s name carries plenty of weight beyond college football Saturdays. He spent several years as part of the Monday Night Raw commentary team, becoming one of the most polarizing and talked-about voices WWE has put behind a headset in recent memory. Love him or hate him on commentary, there’s no denying McAfee turned every broadcast into appointment-viewing chatter, whether he was hyping a match, ribbing Michael Cole, or inserting himself into storylines as an on-screen character who actually competed in the ring against the likes of Adam Cole.

That level of visibility — spanning WWE television, ESPN’s biggest college football showcase, a nationally syndicated radio-turned-TV show, and a massive social media footprint — comes with a level of scrutiny most broadcasters never have to think about. Death threats aimed at outspoken sports media figures aren’t unheard of, but having the FBI flag a specific safety recommendation like a bulletproof vest underscores just how real the danger can become when a public figure’s opinions, jokes, or on-air decisions ignite online outrage.

It’s a sobering reminder of the price of fame in the modern media landscape, especially for someone like McAfee who built a career on saying exactly what’s on his mind without much of a filter — a trait that made him a hit in WWE’s product and a lightning rod everywhere else. Whether the Utah dust-up factors into any renewed threats remains to be seen, but the juxtaposition of a lighthearted college football rivalry story with a report about federal law enforcement weighing in on his personal safety says a lot about the strange space McAfee occupies in pop culture right now.

McAfee has not wrestled or appeared on WWE programming recently, having stepped away from the commentary booth, but his crossover stardom from his WWE run continues to follow him into every corner of his career. As this story develops, it’s worth watching whether McAfee himself addresses the threats and security measures directly on his own show, where he has never been shy about speaking his mind on subjects far outside of sports.

For now, the report serves as a stark reminder that even larger-than-life personalities who thrive on confrontation and controversy carry real risks most fans never see play out behind the cameras.