SerpApi.Org
Ryan Clark is out at ESPN.
The former NFL veteran turned TV analyst had been a part of ESPN for a decade. Clark was reportedly making around $2 million per year. On Monday, Clark was let go by the company, as part of wider layoffs.
Clark was reportedly informed of his layoff during Monday's episode of "NFL Live." ESPN had learned that news of Clark's departure was set to break online. So, instead of letting Clark read about it on social media, they told him during the show. Clark left in the middle of the episode.
TMZ Sports reported on Wednesday that Clark was not "forced" off of the air on Monday, despite his layoff.
"We're told ESPN honchos decided to get ahead of the news and tell Ryan during a commercial break, rather than him see an alert on his phone. Ryan did not come back on the air after being informed he was being let go ... obviously, the news rattled him, and we're told both Ryan and ESPN agreed it was better not to return," TMZ Sports reported.
"It's not like Ryan was then escorted off set ... Ryan was appearing on the show via Zoom ... and was not in the studio."
Clark takes issue with the report, though
Clark confirmed on Wednesday that he was essentially told by ESPN that it would be best if he didn't return.
"I wasn’t forced?" he wrote on X.
Clark said he asked ESPN: “I ask, should I be done now?”
"Yes," ESPN replied, per Clark.
Clark has said that there's no real bad blood between he and ESPN in the wake of his layoff, though it's understandable for many - including Clark - to have an issue with how the network handled it all.
