ESPN in chaos as NFL insider and 30-year baseball icon are cut - after Ryan Clark's mid-show firing

• MORE: Ex-NFL star Ryan Clark 'told he was being laid off by ESPN MID-show'

ESPN is brutally cutting some of its top on-air talent in a huge raft of layoffs, led by $2 million-a-year NFL analyst Ryan Clark being fired in the middle of his show.

The former Steelers safety - who had been with the network for more than a decade - did not finish the NFL Live program on Monday night and immediately left the set, according to reports.

Hours later, the layoffs kept coming as The Athletic and Front Office Sports reported that Karl Ravech, a mainstay of the network for more than 30 years, is being cut.

Ravech joined ESPN as an anchor in 1993 and was a longtime Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight host, while also serving as lead caller of Sunday Night Baseball from 2022 to 2025.

ESPN's pivot away from baseball, after opting out of its previous MLB package, has left much uncertainty for the sport's analysts, and Ravech is among the first to be booted.

It was revealed soon after that NFL insider Tom Pelissero is also being laid off, despite being one of the network's big news-breakers when it comes to the league.

Andrew Marchand reports that there is likely to be a fight for his services from the likes of CBS, The Athletic, Netflix and Amazon.

Another long-time Sportscenter anchor, David Lloyd, was also fired, while fantasy and injury expert Stephania Bell lost her job too.

Shortly after 10am, it was revealed that longtime NFL Network analyst Charles Davis - who also operates as the No 1 college football expert for CBS - is also being cut by ESPN.

Regarding Clark's brutal firing, sources told The Athletic that the pundit was informed while filming NFL Live amid fears that his departure could be leaked before he was made aware of it.

Clark wrote on X on Tuesday: 'Sending prayers and love to all those laid off today by ESPN. So many of you have poured your life into that company, & I know how you’re feeling right now. My hope is as this door closes another opens for you all. God bless!' The Daily Mail approached Clark for further comment. 

His dismissal sparked a huge reaction on social media, with fans wondering who might be next.

Emmanuel Acho, who was fired by Fox Sports last year, took aim at 'cowardly' TV execs for laying off Clark during the middle of taping.

'More often than not, executives are cowards,' the retired linebacker said. 'Former athletes, we're used to tough information. Just tell it to us! 

'[We've been] cut before, [we've had] broken bones before, had surgeries before. Ryan Clark notably couldn't play a game in Denver, Colorado, because he had [an autoimmune disease]… we're used to tough things! Just tell us!' 

The Athletic's Andrew Marchand claimed that the leading network, and its sister platform NFL Network, will see more big names slashed this week as part of wider job losses at parent company Disney.

The cuts are expected to include a number of on-air personalities based at ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut HQ, as well as a larger portion of on-air and off-air talent from NFL Network. 

The layoffs stem from ESPN's February acquisition of NFL Network, which came at a cost of around $3 billion and saw the NFL secure a 10 percent stake in the broadcaster.

ESPN has declined to comment on Clark's firing or any more potential cuts in the coming hours. 

The 46-year-old pundit won an Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst in 2023.

On social media, Acho added: 'Firing a man during his show that he's helped bring an Emmy award is wild! Why did they say they did it? Because they didn't want him to find out on social media. 

'So you fire him during a show and pull him during the last ten minutes of a segment? Last year, when I got fired... we found out on social media.'

The Athletic later reported that ESPN initially planned to inform Clark on Tuesday morning that he was being let go. However, ESPN is said to have feared the story would leak before then.

Clark, who was reportedly making more than $2 million a year at ESPN, had been expected to play a key role in the network's coverage of Super Bowl LXI next season.

But the former safety has been embroiled in a number of high-profile controversies in recent years after clashing with the likes of Robert Griffin III and Peter Schrager.

His bitter feud with the latter led to a social media apology, in which he admitted he needed to become a 'better teammate'.

The fight came while he was already facing criticism for claiming that retired quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were not 'generational talents' at the position, and he went on to dig his hole a bit deeper by attacking Schrager's background.  

Specifically, Clark took issue with Schrager – at the time a new, big-money ESPN hire - because he didn't play college or professional football.

'We shouldn't do this on TV,' Clark said. 'I apologize if people think this is rude - that's the non-player in you.'

Schrager immediately rejected that argument. 'Stop,' he said. 'I'm not looking at fantasy football. Ryan, don't belittle me like that. I can come and say, as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative perspective.'

Clark, though, wasn't finished.

'What I need you to do is to not get mad and let me finish for one,' he told Schrager, who obliged. 'It wasn't about you, it was going to be about me.'

Since then, Clark has issued an apology over the incident, while alluding to something else that happened off air between himself and Schrager.

'Today, I had an interaction with my colleague [Peter Schrager] both on and off the air that I regret,' Clark wrote on X. 'I have apologized to Peter and taken accountability with ESPN leadership. 

'I value working with Peter and look forward to this season. My focus will remain on professionalism, teamwork, and being a better teammate moving forward.'