{"id":12569,"date":"2026-07-21T12:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12569"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:59:24","slug":"espn-cuts-ties-with-nfl-analyst-ryan-clark-in-middle-of-live-show-broadcast-sources-claim-executives-feared-a-leak-and-are-expecting-more-layoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12569","title":{"rendered":"ESPN Cuts Ties With NFL Analyst Ryan Clark In Middle Of Live Show Broadcast, Sources Claim Executives Feared A Leak And Are Expecting More Layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:default1=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NFL analyst <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/tag\/ryan-clark\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ryan Clark<\/a><\/strong>, 46, is trending after ESPN cut ties with him in the middle of his live show broadcast on Monday (July 20). Sources say more layoffs at ESPN are expected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/nfl-ryan-clark-chris-brown-michael-jackson-talented-twitter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Former NFL Player Ryan Clark Receives Backlash After Tweeting Chris Brown Is More Talented Than Michael Jackson<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to sources at the network, executives feared someone would leak the news so they let him go mid-show. Additional layoffs are reportedly expected tomorrow (Tuesday, July 21) for ESPN and sister platform, NFL Network. The layoffs are reportedly part of a broader plan to cut employees at parent company Disney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7459503\/2026\/07\/20\/ryan-clark-espn-layoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a>\u2019 sports publication, \u2018<em>The Athletic<\/em>,\u2019 Clark was let go during ESPN\u2019s \u2018<em>NFL Live<\/em>\u2019 broadcast. Executives informed him of their decision during the broadcast. It is reported that after a commercial break, he did not return to set. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/former-nfl-player-ryan-clark-highlights-the-scary-realities-players-face-as-damar-hamlin-fights-for-his-life-after-injury\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Former NFL Player Ryan Clark Highlights The Scary Realities Players Face As Damar Hamlin Fights For His Life After Injury<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-espn-parts-ways-with-ryan-clark-during-live-show\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">ESPN Parts Ways With Ryan Clark During Live Show<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sources at ESPN told <em>The Athletic<\/em> that media inquiries were coming in about impending departures, including Clark\u2019s. Out of fear of him learning the news before they could inform him, they told him during his broadcast. <em>The Athletic <\/em>also reported that since the Super Bowl in February, they heard Clark\u2019s job was potentially in jeopardy \u2014 and just last week, they learned he would soon be let go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ESPN had planned to do so on Tuesday morning, but the handfuls of calls seeking answers on the rumors pushed their hand. Clark \u2014 who was reportedly making more than $2 million a year \u2014 had been with ESPN for over a decade.  He was also expected to largely cover next year\u2019s Super Bowl, Super Bowl LXI \u2014 as ESPN will broadcast the event for the first time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/ryan-clark-apology-kyren-lacy-new-evidence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ryan Clark Issues Apology For Remarks On Kyren Lacy During Monday Night Football Following Release Of New Evidence By Law Enforcement<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-sources-says-espn-cut-ties-with-ryan-clark-over-incident-with-peter-schrager\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources Says ESPN Cut Ties With Ryan Clark Over Incident With Peter Schrager<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to ESPN sources, executives weren\u2019t too happy with some of Clark\u2019s past choices and comments. This reportedly peaked with an on- and off-air incident involving colleague <strong>Peter Schrager<\/strong>. The two had a heated discussion during ESPN\u2019s \u2018<em>Get Up<\/em>\u2019 in September 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though Clark tweeted an apology afterward, the damage was done. In addition to \u2018Get Up,\u2019 Clark was a regular on shows like \u2018First Take\u2019 and \u2018NFL Live.\u2019 He also has his own podcast, \u2018<em>The Pivot<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after! <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbCpwBkjRub\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"\/>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NFL analyst Ryan Clark, 46, is trending after ESPN cut ties with him in the middle of his live show broadcast on Monday (July 20). Sources say more layoffs at ESPN are expected. RELATED: Former NFL Player Ryan Clark Receives Backlash After Tweeting Chris Brown Is More Talented Than Michael Jackson According to sources at&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ESPN-Cuts-Ties-With-NFL-Analyst-Ryan-Clark-In-Middle-Of-Live-Show-Broadcast-Sources-Claim-Executives-Feared-A-Leak-And-Are-Expecting-More-Layoffs.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12569\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}