‘I wasn’t forced?’: Ryan Clark addresses reports of his ESPN exit as friends and collegues lend support

Clark was among several notable names laid off from the company this week following the network’s finalized acquisition of NFL Network earlier this year.

Former NFL player-turned-analyst Ryan Clark was one of the biggest names let go by ESPN earlier this week as part of mass layoffs across Disney. Unlike some of his former co-workers at the Worldwide Leader in Sports, he learned of the decision to be laid off as he was on air for “NFL Live.”

On Wednesday, Clark responded to an article from TMZ Sports about his dismissal, suggesting that he wasn’t forced off the air during a commercial break. The report from TMZ suggested that the decision for Clark not to return on air was mutually agreed upon between him and ESPN executives. He appeared via Zoom for a segment and was not physically on set in Bristol, Connecticut. However, he no longer appeared on the show after what would be his final segment.

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“I wasn’t forced?” Clark questioned on Wednesday afternoon. “I ask, ‘Should I be done now?’ The answer was ‘yes.'”