Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee is saying goodbye to the NFL after eight seasons.

Pat McAfee leaving colts for Barstool Sports

The 29-year-old made the announcement late Wednesday night in a faux press conference on sports blog Barstool Sports’ new sports show on Comedy Central, “The Barstool Rundown,” where daily news from the week leading up to the Super Bowl are recapped.

McAfee, in a letter posted to Twitter, explained he met with Colts owner Jim Irsay for 45 minutes on Monday to inform him of his decision. The punter thanked the Colts, Irsay, and the city of Indianapolis for the support over the years.

Irsay praised McAfee, who played his entire NFL career with the Colts, and wished him luck in a tweet Thursday morning:

“Pat was a terrific player and ambassador for us. He will be missed, and we wish him all the best!” He wrote.

Health problems have plagued the punter in recent years. McAfee is about to have his third knee surgery in four years, something he said helped contribute to his decision to retire. He still had two years remaining on his five-year, $14.5 million contract.

McAfee’s tenure with the Colts did not begin on a good note. The seventh-round 2009 draft pick out of West Virginia was arrested for public intoxication after he was found swimming in an Indianapolis canal in October 2010.

Nevertheless, McAfee went on to become one of the top punters in the NFL, while also being a member of one of the best special-teams units in the league, along with kicker Adam Vinatieri and long-snapper Matt Overton. 

McAfee became known for celebrating good punts by mimicking a golf swing or strutting around the field like UFC fighter Conor McGregor. In eight seasons with Indianapolis, he averaged 46.4 gross yards per punt and 39.8 net yards per punt and was named to two Pro Bowls .

Barstool Sports made news earlier this week when the NFL announced it was pulling the outlet’s Super Bowl LI credentials due to Barstool’s Deflate-gate protest at the league’s headquarters in 2015.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 08: Pat McAfee #1 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after the 55 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri during the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are always recognizable at opposing stadiums because of their signature Terrible Towels that they wave throughout the stands. To the fans, this item almost seems sacred. Washington Redskins punter Tress Way’s mother, however, seems to have no problem in destroying this towel.

Redskins Punter Tress Way’s Mother Burns Steelers Terrible Towel To Support Son

In an effort to display support for her son ahead of Monday night’s game against the Steelers–which Pittsburgh won 38-16 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland– Mrs. Way and her husband sent the punter their usual “good luck and I love you” text, although as 26-year-old Tress Way pointed out, there was something else added this time.

Tress Way’s mother sent him a video that begins with the camera panning around a house, which is adorned with Redskins gear, as well as a poster of Steelers quarterback of Ben Roethilsberger on a wall, but in the last few seconds, Mrs. Way is shown burning the Steelers’ black-and-yellow Terrible Towel with a lighter in the dark. As she does so, Mrs. Way laughs in a rather maniacal manner and then whispers, “Gettin’ ready for Monday Night Football!”

Tress Way shared the dark video, the end of which seems like it could belong in a horror movie, on Twitter.

As if that isn’t enough to infuriate Steelers fans, the Redskins sent out a tweet regarding their own towel, which says “Fight for Old DC,” before Monday’s game:

Unfortunately for the Redskins, they were unable to benefit from the home-field advantage to win their opening game.

History has not been kind to those who have defaced the towel in the past. Several NFL players have made that mistake.

Tennessee Titans players LenDale White and Keith Bulluck once stomped all over a Terrible Towel following a Titans’s 31–14 victory in 2008. The Titans would not earn another victory that year and were eliminated from their first playoff game a few weeks later despite being heavy favorites.

Ultimately, Tennessee would go on to lose their next eight games as the curse carried over to the following year. The Titans eventually apologized for their actions and went on to win their next five games in a row immediately afterwards.

Before the Arizona Cardinals headed to the Super Bowl in 2009, the Mayor of Phoenix encouraged the team’s mascot to wipe his armpits with a Terrible Towel and then Mayor Gordon blew his nose into it.

Therefore, one can only guess that Mrs. Way’s action was just a bad omen, albeit indirectly, for her son and the Redskins. In the very short term, it clearly backfired, since the Steelers emerged victorious Monday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 24: Tress Way #5 of the Washington Redskins punts against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)