Cooling issue question

[Va7.3L]

Hey y'all! I got a question about a cooling issue that seems to have developed in my 2001 F350.
History:
I did a coolant flush and replaced the following about a month ago: water pump, upper and lower hoses, degas bottle, t-stat, t-stat housing and ECT sensor. About a week ago, the belt started squeaking and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. The other day I noticed the water pump shaft has a lil play to it. It has started squeaking perty bad now. Today, I drove it for about 15-20 minutes and it got up to operating temp. When I stopped, I popped the hood to snoop around and noticed the engine was hot but the lower and upper rad hoses were still cool to the touch. Almost forgot, I found a small piece of what looked like the ring from the bottom of a gallon jug lid floating in the degas bottle a couple weeks ago. It must have been from the previous owner as it was not the color of any top I used in the flush I did. (Finding that really made me paranoid!)

I have already ordered a replacement (warranty) water pump. My questions are: What could cause this pump shaft to fail so quick, bad fan clutch? And could there be a t-stat issue or ECT sensor issue as well?

Any thoughts would be great! I'm planning on tearing it apart this weekend, replacing the pump, and checking out the t-stat. I just wondered if I should replace the fan clutch while I'm in there if that could be the cause. Thanks!