Todd McShay sheds light on beef with Paul Finebaum, origins tie to Jalen Carter reporting

Earlier this week, Todd McShay called Paul Finebaum an “all-time coward.” The NFL Draft analyst has since revealed the origin of the pair’s beef, doubling down on his description of his former ESPN colleague.

It goes back to the 2023 NFL Draft cycle regarding McShay’s reporting of then Georgia star Jalen Carter. McShay’s reports at the time raised concerns over Carter’s character. Finebaum pushed back against McShay’s reporting at the time, which has continued to rub McShay the wrong way two years later.

“The Jalen Carter situation … was what pushed me off the edge,” McShay said this week during an appearance on Stugotz and Company. “I don’t trust the man, I think he’s a coward of a man. And that’s it.”

McShay dove deep into his feelings toward Finebaum. Finebaum has a reputation for his unfiltered takes toward college football programs and players. Though, that recognition hasn’t been without getting under the skins of fans, players, coaches, and now, apparently peers.

He explained how he worked with Finebaum for roughly a decade at ESPN. During that time several interactions between him and the SEC analyst rubbed him the wrong way.

“There were people who just didn’t like Paul in the building,” McShay said. “We’d go out to, whether it was the Rose Bowl or a bowl game or the national championship, and he would be there. And the comments from other people that I would overhear or be in a circle of people talking, ‘He didn’t look like the rest of us, he didn’t know ball.’ All those things. ‘He’s a different cat.’ And I never got involved in that.

“I’ve had a lot of accusations against me and some are probably true. Some of them are not, and I would defend. But I don’t think anyone would accuse me of being a bad teammate. I think there’s a loyalty. And several times over the years, he crossed the line on that.”

Finebaum is no stranger to controversy, or people criticizing his opinions. His bold takes have turned him into one of college football’s most recognized voices over the years, but this time it has landed him in some hot water.

McShay hinted that he’ll address the matter further on his own podcast later this week. The two are no longer colleagues at ESPN, though, as McShay split from ESPN a couple of months after the incident in June 2023.