While many NFL players retire early for various ventures, such as Pat McAfee joining Barstool Sports, Mike Katic is taking a different approach: ending his NFL career before it even begins to dive into media.
Earlier this week, Dan “Big Cat” Katz revealed on The Yak that Barstool Sports hired Katic, who just completed his sixth year as an offensive lineman at Indiana. During the stream, Katic confirmed this exciting news, expressing enthusiasm for his new career path.
“I’m pumped. This is what I think I was born to do,” Katic said. “Football’s great, but I think this is my thing. So I’m super excited to move in here.”
The Pittsburgh native will operate out of Barstool’s Chicago office, aligning with his Midwest background. Although his official start date is March 1, he has already made multiple appearances on Barstool Sports programming this week and has been featured across the company’s social media channels, including a clip where he practiced drills with another recent Barstool hire — Jon Gruden.
Welcome @KaticMichael to Barstool. No better hello than meeting @BarstoolGruden walking in the door. 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Y2YNqkkWcV
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2025
“He was projected to be an NFL draft pick,” Portnoy noted during a discussion about Katic’s hiring on The Unnamed Show. “And he chose to come with us.” According to Portnoy, Barstool did not actively recruit Katic from the NFL; rather, someone from the Indiana athletic department contacted them on Katic’s behalf. After reviewing media interviews from Katic’s college career, Portnoy felt he would be a great fit.
“To me, he could be a really good character,” Portnoy stated. “He’s a good guy, wants to be in media, choosing this.” While projecting the draft stock of interior offensive linemen can be challenging, Katic was considered a legitimate candidate for this year’s draft, with The 33rd Team ranking him as its No. 2 gap scheme center as recently as November. At the very least, Katic was poised to secure a spot on an NFL roster this summer, either as a mid-to-late-round pick or as an undrafted free agent. Instead, he will be creating content at Barstool Sports’ Chicago office, marking one of the most surprising moves of the draft season.
