Former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark has dominated the headlines this week after the network fired him midway through Monday’s “NFL Live” show. Clark was a part of a host of notable personalities laid off by ESPN, but the manner of his firing has divided opinion among fans and analysts.
Ryan Clark Addresses Stephen A. Smith’s Role in ESPN Firing
During a segment on “The Pivot Podcast,” Clark addressed whether the influential Stephen A. Smith could have saved his job at ESPN.
“No. Stephen A., with all of his power, with all of his influence, is not a true decision-maker at ESPN,” Clark said. “That’s not his job title. That’s not in the repertoire of what he’s asked to do, and we get it so many times, right? I get it all the time, ‘Why do you ride for him so much? Why don’t you come for him when he says these things?’ I call him, I text him, I tell him when I think he’s doing too much, and I have the conversations with him all the time.
“But when this company was treating me in a way, that, at least, in my opinion, was unfair as it pertains to what I’d accomplished, he was the first person to go, ‘I want you. If they’re gonna take you off of this or that, don’t worry about it. You’ll get your TV time on my show. Thursday and Friday will be Ryan Clark’s days.’ That will never be forgotten by me. I will forever be grateful for that.”
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Clark retired from the NFL in 2015 and joined ESPN as an analyst, where he carved out a niche with his incisive analysis. He was a regular contributor on the “NFL Live” show and made occasional appearances on the “Get Up,” “First Take,” and “SportsCenter” segments. Clark earned a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst in 2023.
The former Steelers safety was laid off alongside personalities including Cam Newton, Karl Ravech, Charles Davis, and David Lloyd, among others. ESPN chairman James Pitaro revealed that the network’s takeover of the NFL Network in January had occasioned the widespread job cuts.
In a clip posted on his YouTube channel this week, Smith addressed Clark’s firing and expressed his displeasure with the decision-makers at ESPN.
“My brother, Ryan Clark, a person that I consider to be arguably the best NFL analyst in America, is no longer a member of ESPN,” Smith said. “I can’t even tell y’all how much that hurts… I’m going to miss him. I’m not happy about this decision one bit. The bosses know I’m not happy about this decision. I’ve made that very, very clear.”
Clark started his NFL career with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He joined the Washington Redskins for two seasons before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he stayed for eight seasons and was a key cog in the Super Bowl XLIII win.
