ESPN cuts ties with NFL analyst Ryan Clark, wider layoffs expected Tuesday: Sources

ESPN has cut ties with NFL analyst Ryan Clark, sources briefed on the move told The Athletic.

Clark was on ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Monday. He was informed of the decision during the show, said the sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Clark did not finish the program.

Sources at ESPN say the reason they told Clark during the show was due to media inquiries into his departure and a fear that the news would leak out before they could inform him. Since after the Super Bowl in Febuary, sources had told The Athletic that Clark’s job could be in jeopardy. Last week, The Athletic learned that Clark was likely to be let go.

ESPN’s plan was to do that on Tuesday morning, but after receiving calls on the matter chose to inform him during his show as they did not want him to read online before being told in person.

ESPN and its sister platform, NFL Network, are expected to have more layoffs Tuesday as part of broader cuts at their parent company, Disney. There are expected to be a small number of layoffs of on-air personalities based at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., as well as a larger number of employees, both on- and off-the-air, from NFL Network.

ESPN acquired NFL Network and other assets in February, which gave the NFL a 10 percent stake in ESPN in a deal valued at around $3 billion.

ESPN declined to comment on Clark or about any additional layoffs.

Clark was making more than $2 million per year, the sources said. He had been with ESPN for more than a decade and, while he was slated to be a large part of its Super Bowl LXI coverage next year, when the network is set to broadcast the event for the first time, the sources said there had also been talk internally since February that he might not return.

ESPN executives soured on Clark because of issues with some of his choices, a dynamic that peaked with an on- and off-air incident this past season involving colleague Peter Schrager.

On “Get Up” last September, after Schrager defended Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s performance in an opening-night loss, Clark said, “That’s the non-player in you.”

Schrager asked Clark not to belittle him and mentioned there are other perspectives, to which Clark responded, “Peter, what I need for you to do is not get mad and let me finish.”

Much later that day, Clark tweeted out an apology, saying, “Today, I had an interaction with my colleague (Schrager) both on and off the air 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 transitioned into a broadcasting role at ESPN, working his way up the network’s depth chart. He ultimately landed on the prestigious “Monday Night Countdown,” sitting next to host Scott Van Pelt and analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears. He was on the program for three years.

Clark was also a regular on shows such as “First Take,” “Get Up” and “NFL Live.” Clark has his own podcast, “The Pivot,” on which he often speaks from the heart about issues that impact athletes.

Clark signed his most recent deal with ESPN in 2024 after a very public negotiation, which caught the attention of many of his colleagues.

“3 years ago I signed an extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for more time,” Clark tweeted during the negotiation after the Super Bowl in February 2024. “I (was) excited to prove I was worth more, felt I deserved more. We disagreed, & that’s ok. I set out on a mission to leave no doubt, end all conversations about who I was in this business.

“The season is over. The deal is up. Time to make a decision. Either way it goes. The mission don’t change. I want to be the best doing it. Everyone should. I’m more motivated today than ever. I’m still the same #UndraftedFreeAgent !”