He was there, and then he wasn’t.
Ryan Clark found out that he was being laid off by ESPN while he was doing “NFL Live,” The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported, adding another layer to the surprise development out of the Worldwide Leader.
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Week 17
Reports surfaced Monday evening that Clark would be let go as part of layoffs at the Disney-owned sports network, and that played into the decision to tell him while the program was going on.
The Athletic report noted that the network had been receiving requests for comment regarding reports about Clark being laid off, and a source told the outlet that ESPN was concerned it would break before they could inform him.
Originally, ESPN planned on notifying Clark about the decision Tuesday morning.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Ryan Clark was fired from ESPN
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Ryan Clark was fired from ESPNSource: Getty Images
Clark had been on multiple ESPN programs on Monday, including a hit on “SportsCenter,” which was promoted on the show’s social media channel, as well as “NFL Live.”
The ex-NFL player did not appear on the full show on Monday, and during his final segment, Clark was discussing Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels using virtual reality to help his offseason training.
“The one thing I remember was when he transferred from Arizona State to LSU, he started using virtual reality here,” Clark said.
“And people said that was a big part of him being able to process more quickly and get the football out of his hands. … I think this is something that he’s comfortable with, but he’s also acknowledging that he has to get better.”
ESPN has not publicly commented on the decision to lay off Clark, who was reportedly making over $2 million per year at the network.
Clark has been with ESPN for more than a decade, but it would appear that execs at the Worldwide Leader have become less thrilled with him, with one sticking point being an incident between himself and Peter Schrager that happened last season.
During the segment, Clark and Schrager were speaking about performances of star receivers AJ Brown and CeeDee Lamb following the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.
Schrager had just finished making a case that Lamb, who had seven receptions for 110 yards in the loss, should be feeling better about his performance than Brown, who had one reception for eight yards in the Eagles win.
“We shouldn’t do this on TV, so I apologize if people think this is rude: That’s the non-player in you,” Clark said while pointing at Schrager. The former Pittsburgh Steeler was implying that because Schrager wasn’t a former NFL player, he didn’t understand that the team’s result is more important than individual performances.
“Oh, stop!” Schrager replied. “Don’t belittle me like that. I can come and say, as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative perspective that maybe CeeDee Lamb did play well.”
“What I need for you to do, what I need for you to do, is not get mad and let me finish for once. It wasn’t about you,” Clark said.
This exchange went viral, and people were upset that Clark tried to discredit Schrager’s credentials to speak on this situation, as if the only people with opinions that mattered were those who had been on the field themselves.
Clark apologized for what he said with an X post later that day, writing, “Today, I had an interaction with my colleague @PSchrags both on and off the air that I regret. I have apologized to Peter and taken accountability with ESPN leadership. I value working with Peter and look forward to this season. My focus will remain on professionalism, teamwork, and being a better teammate moving forward.”
This article originally appeared on The New York Post.