ESPN has cut ties with NFL analyst Ryan Clark, people briefed on the move said. Athletic.
Clark was on ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Monday. He was informed of the decision during the show, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. Clark did not complete the program.
Sources at ESPN say the reason they told Clark this during the show was because of the media investigation into his departure and fear that the news would leak before they could tell him. Sources said that after the Super Bowl in February Athletic that Clark’s job could be in jeopardy. Last week Athletic learned that Clark would most likely be released.
ESPN’s plan was to do this on Tuesday morning, but after receiving calls about it, they decided to tell him during the show since they didn’t want him to read it online before being told in person.
ESPN and its sister platform NFL Network are expected to make more layoffs on Tuesday as part of broader cuts at their parent company Disney. There are expected to be a small number of departures of leading figures at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, as well as more staff, both on- and off-air, from the NFL Network.
ESPN acquired the NFL Network and other assets in February, giving the NFL a 10 percent stake in ESPN in a deal valued at about $3 billion.
ESPN declined to comment on Clark or any additional layoffs.
Clark earned more than $2 million a year, sources said. He worked for ESPN for over ten years and, although he was scheduled to take part in coverage of Super Bowl LXI next year, when the network will televise the event for the first time, sources said there had also been talk internally since February that he might not return.
ESPN executives have been unhappy with Clark due to problems with some of his decisions, a dynamic that came to a head during an on- and off-air incident last season involving colleague Peter Schrager.
On “Get Up” last September, after Schrager defended the play of Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in a loss on opening night, Clark said, “It’s the non-player in you.”
Schrager asked Clark not to belittle him and mentioned that there were other points of view, to which Clark responded, “Peter, I need you to stop being angry and let me finish.”
Much later that day, Clark tweeted an apology, saying, “I had a conversation with my colleague (Schrager) both on and off air today that I regret.”
Clark, 46, played 13 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Pittsburgh Steelers, after entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2002. His playing career ended after the 2014 season and he moved on to a broadcast position at ESPN, moving up the network’s depth chart. He eventually landed a spot on the prestigious Monday Night Countdown, sitting next to host Scott Van Pelt and analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears. He participated in the program for three years.
Clark has also been a regular on shows such as “First Take,” “Get Up” and “NFL Live.” Clark has his own podcast, The Pivot, where he often speaks from his heart about issues affecting athletes.
Clark signed his latest contract with ESPN in 2024 after public negotiations that attracted the attention of many of his colleagues.
“Three years ago I signed a contract extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for the extra time,” Clark wrote during post-Super Bowl negotiations in February 2024. “I was happy to prove that I was worth more, I felt like I deserved more. We disagreed, and that’s okay. I made it my mission to leave no doubt, to put an end to all the talk about who I was in this business.
“The season is over. The deal is done. Time to make a decision. Either way. The mission doesn’t change. I want to be the best at doing it. Everyone should be. Today I’m more motivated than ever. I’m still the same #UndraftedFreeAgent!”