INDIANAPOLIS – A Colts kicker entered retirement in the wee hours of Thursday morning. And it wasn't the 44-year-old one.

In a surprise move, Pat McAfee announced he was retiring from the game of football on the show Barstool Rundown, which aired on Comedy Central at midnight on Wednesday.

McAfee, who will turn 30 years old in May, ends his NFL career after eight seasons with the Colts. McAfee had two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed back in 2014.

Post-football life for McAfee will see him still living in Indianapolis, and working for Barstool Sports.

The two-time Pro Bowler is easily the best punter the Colts have had in franchise history.

From his career of kicking off and punting, McAfee holds Colts' records in kickoff touchbacks (350), punting gross average (46.4) and punting net average (39.9).

This past year McAfee set a franchise single-season record for gross punting average (49.3). The 2016 season was arguably the best of McAfee's career.

Following the end of the season, McAfee did announce he would be having another surgery on his right knee. The surgery, the third in four years for McAfee, took him out of last week's Pro Bowl.

Here is what McAfee had to say about having to have another knee surgery:

"While looking at the scans of my right knee with me, my doctor informed me the injury I suffered in Week 10, is absolutely going to require surgery. This will be my 3rdknee surgery in 4 years. With that being said, after a little bit of deliberation, I am choosing not to participate in the Pro Bowl, because I do not want to risk any further damage before the surgery takes place…"

Comedy has always been a staple of McAfee and his next career path will let him further that passion. Looking for any hints at a possible retirement from McAfee this past season are difficult to find.

During locker room clean out after the season ended one month ago today, McAfee had this to say about the team's Week 17 win.

"At halftime, a group of guys came together and said, 'Let's get one last win here together because who knows who will be in the locker room next year…,'" McAfee said one month ago.

Well, McAfee will now be one of those guys no locker inside the Colts' locker room.

With McAfee heading into retirement, just three Colts remain from before the 2012 season (Anthony Castonzo, Joe Reitz and Adam Vinatieri).

The Colts now have to add punter/kickoff man to their off-season needs list.

Vinatieri, who has one year left on his contract, is not a likely option to fill either of those roles.

New kicker Devon Bell was signed by the Colts on Jan. 6. Bell is a 2016 undrafted free agent who has punting experience and kickoff work from his collegiate days at Mississippi State. Having yet to play in an NFL regular season game, Bell spent the 2016 preseason with the Detroit Lions.

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