ESPN reportedly cuts Ryan Clark during "NFL Live," more layoffs expected Tuesday

Pittsburgh, PA - April 24, 2026 - Acrisure Stadium: Ryan Clark on the set of NFL Live during the 2026 NFL Draft. (Photo by Al Powers / ESPN Images)

One of ESPN’s higher-profile analysts is abruptly out.

ESPN has dropped NFL analyst Ryan Clark as part of expected layoffs, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Per Marchand, Clark was informed of his firing while he was taping “NFL Live” Monday and did not stay on for the remainder of the show. According to Richard Deitsch of Sports Business Journal, ESPN had planned to inform Clark about being laid off on Tuesday, but let him know ahead of time to avoid having him find out through the media.

Clark joined ESPN fresh out of retirement in 2015, having previously made guest appearances on the network while an active player in 2013 and 2014. During his tenure, he became one of the network’s top NFL analysts across its studio shows, including “SportsCenter” and “Monday Night Countdown.”

The high point of Clark’s ESPN tenure was, by all accounts, his appearance on “SportsCenter” the night Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin collapsed due to cardiac arrest during a 2023 “Monday Night Football” game. Clark and host Scott Van Pelt were largely praised for their performance during what was a breaking news event.

Since that point, Clark’s tenure has primarily made headlines for behind-the-scenes issues rather than any on-air work. He went public about the expiration of his ESPN contract in 2024, ultimately reaching a new deal. In 2025, he had a highly personal social media exchange with Robert Griffin III about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Perhaps the most damaging incident was a wholly unnecessary dig at Peter Schrager on “Get Up” last fall — dismissing Schrager’s opinion as coming from “the non-player in you” — for which he later apologized.

According to Marchand, ESPN brass “soured” on Clark due to those controversies.

Clark continues to host his podcast “The Pivot.” He was also a host on the most recent season of the NFL Films-produced “Inside the NFL.”

ESPN has already undergone layoffs this year, cutting 30 staffers in April. Per Marchand, ESPN is expected to inform other employees that they are being laid off on Tuesday morning, with those cuts falling disproportionately on staffers at newly-acquired NFL Network.

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Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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Comments 10

Nate Johnson says:

2 months ago

This news is a bit surprising to me given the reasons which is how the ESPN brass “soured” onto Clark following what he said to Schrager on air. It makes me wonder if this was building on Get Up! which to me would be the show where there would be his main issues with (Outside distance-looking in, it seemed like he was alright with NFL Live!, SVP, Monday Night Countdown, and First Take). It’s still stunning giving that he didn’t make on air to Disney & ABC’s return/ESPN’s first Super Bowl Season.

My reasons are two:

1.) Yeah the vibe around Ryan Clark was likely not well on Get Up! which is a heavily invested ESPN program. I’m sure there was a conflict that likely needed to be addressed. For one, there was no coming back to making amends with Peter Schrager unless he would’ve went far and beyond to fix that repair & Schrager would’ve needed to go along with that and he had his right to refuse in doing so. Almost all viewers of anything NFL and workers in the NFL media relates more to Schrager, Kimes, & yes, SAS than Ryan Clark and other former professional athletes. So if there are those that is qualified to invest what their thoughts are in the sport of football than it’s best to play along with it instead of knocking them down because they never played a down in the NFL (or even high level College Football). I’m sure it was never the same on Get Up! However, I believe reason #2 probably is the bigger reason which is…

2.) ESPN is about to pay Pat McAfee at least $60M. They know that will reset everything at ESPN as in maintaining big names such as Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Kirk Herbstreit, and Jay Bilas. On top of that, they also have to be in position to reserve some dollars to maintain being in the strong Live Sports portfolio field as Prime Video and possibly Netflix will look to continue to grow theirs over the next several years while of course NBC & CBS will seek to maintain a strong Live Sports portfolio in years to come (FOX as well, but right now it’s hard to project them right now pacing with NBC, CBS, and ESPN/ABC). Ryan Clark was about to hold a strong negotiation play with ESPN and Clark showing that hand a couple of years ago meant that he was only going to go higher and higher from that point on and of course he would have sourced aforementioned names as to why his value should match their percentage increase to what he was already making. Letting go of Clark, financial wise, means all of this dollars goes towards McAfee and it doesn’t affect whatever bid or how much we’re willing to pay for a certain Live Sport package/event (whether if that’s acquiring or maintaining what they already have).

Reply
ESL says:

2 months ago

I’m stunned he lasted this long after that incident with Peter Schraeger

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Richard W says:

2 months ago

He’s been bringing a lot of controversy as of late to these programs and the network itself with his rhetoric as it’s amazing he’s been there as long as he has been holding onto his job but about time to cut ties with him, as I’m sure many more will be joining him on the unemployment line. NOW hoping Mina Kimes is next to go along with the entire NBA and WNBA pre and post game crew, most of them at least. Now this might be a longshot I know, but maybe it will also include SAS in those layoff moves as well?! We shall see then.

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- Richard W says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  As an update to my previous post here, I was stunned to hear Karl Ravech was let go as well, who had been with ESPN since 1993 doing mostly baseball and such. Cam Newton also let go as well, but yet SAS and Kimes are still employed there. UGH!!
  
  Reply
LC says:

2 months ago

Ryan Clark was awful and annoying. It’s a wonder that he was employed this long. Not gonna miss him.

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Ryan Quaranto says:

2 months ago

Pretty sad they dismissed the most knowledgeable personality on the air.

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JEAN H PIERRE says:

2 months ago

I really enjoy his work and his analysis on all the platforms on ESPN but you know I was one of those things. Hopefully he’ll land somewhere on the network but he still has his podcast which does very well. Maybe he’ll do some NFL games on the radio

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dx says:

2 months ago

That one was a mild surprise to me. I could see ESPN just cutting the MNF studio cast by one with no replacement in this case. Jason Kelce (plus Marcus Spears or Dan Orlovsky) can probably carry the show with SVP just from a personality standpoint at this point.

Even with the media dust ups, CBS could do worse than putting him on some regional games.

Reply
- Rick James Bible Owner says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  Does Ryan Clark have any in-game analyst experience? It seems Four Letters chose Jason McCourty (who has in-game and desk analyst experience) over Ryan Clark. The tide was turning on Ryan with some of his takes (on ESPN and online), but that Schrager imbroglio cemented his fate in such a negative fashion, he’d have to give a crackerjack interview to Dan Patrick with a bombshell of the inner workings of ESPN (or maybe two) to wipe his ledger completely clean. Also, Four Letters sometimes they try to hide these layoffs, but the World Cup Final hangover was never going to last long enough to sneak these by (unless the USMNT won, which can only happen in some dream world). Also, if I’m Alejandro Moreno or Kasey Keller (if he still works there), don’t open any emails the next few days…
  
  Reply
  - dx says:
    
    2 months ago
    
    I do agree that ESPN may cut at least one soccer host and/or analyst based in Bristol either this summer or next now that even beyond losing Bundesliga rights, they have also been either working with one of the English sports production companies to have sideline reporters and studio analysts based in Madrid, Barcelona, London, or Northwest England for La Liga and FA Cup coverage, or directly employing some of that local talent.
    
    Reply