ESPN Fires Ryan Clark Amid Broad Layoffs

ESPN has cut ties with Ryan Clark, ending more than a decade with the network as part of a broad round of layoffs anticipated this week. Clark, who was slated to be a major part of the network’s Super Bowl LXI coverage and frequently appeared on First Take, Get Up, NFL Live and Monday Night Countdown, had been earning around $2 million per year. The move comes amid ongoing contract tensions and several public controversies, including a recent on-air feud with colleague Peter Schrager and past remarks linked to a high-profile incident involving Kyren Lacy. Clark, a 13-year NFL veteran who won a Super Bowl with the Steelers and earned a Pro Bowl in 2011, also built a media presence through The Pivot and Inside the NFL. ESPN’s leadership faces questions about replacing Clark as it prepares to host the Super Bowl for the first time in its history and recalibrate its NFL coverage amid network acquisitions. The firing underscores a wave of layoffs across ESPN as the company renegotiates its talent slate ahead of high-profile broadcasts.