Ryan Clark, a veteran NFL analyst and former player, was laid off by ESPN on Monday, reportedly discovering the news mid-taping for the show 'NFL Live.' The circumstances of his departure have drawn sharp criticism from former NFL player and analyst Emmanuel Acho.
Acho described the executives behind the decision as "cowardly," emphasizing that former athletes are accustomed to receiving difficult news directly. "More often than not, executives are cowards," Acho stated. "Former athletes, we're used to tough information. Just tell it to us!"
Clark, who had been with ESPN for over a decade and was reportedly earning more than $2 million annually, did not complete the 'NFL Live' segment after learning of his termination. According to The Athletic, ESPN had initially planned to inform Clark on Tuesday morning but moved up the announcement, fearing the news would leak to social media.
Acho, who was himself laid off from Fox Sports last year, noted the irony of ESPN's stated reason for the mid-show firing. "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," he said. "So you fire him during a show and pull him during the last 10 minutes of a segment? Last year, when I got fired... we found out on social media."
Clark was reportedly expected to play a significant role in ESPN's coverage of Super Bowl LXI. His departure comes after he was involved in several high-profile disputes in recent years, including clashes with Robert Griffin III.
Acho advised aspiring sports television personalities to create their own platforms to mitigate the risk of being fired. He explained that as talent becomes more accomplished, they often become too expensive for networks to retain. "Once you get good, you will become so good that you become too expensive to afford. And networks can only afford so many great talent[s]," he added, citing ESPN figures like Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith who earn substantial salaries for daily shows.
The layoffs are reportedly part of a broader cost-cutting measure at ESPN, with additional on-air personalities at both the main network and its sister platform, NFL Network, also expected to be let go.