{"id":29682,"date":"2026-08-06T09:42:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T04:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=29682"},"modified":"2026-08-06T09:42:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T04:42:17","slug":"retired-nfl-standout-roddy-white-suggests-ryan-clarks-outspokenness-may-have-played-role-in-espn-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=29682","title":{"rendered":"Retired NFL standout Roddy White suggests Ryan Clark&#8217;s outspokenness may have played role in ESPN exit"},"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>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">ESPN\u2019s latest round of layoffs last week included former NFL players-turned-TV analysts <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110759\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/espn-planning-lay-off-nfl-analyst-ryan-clark-ahead-network-first-super-bowl-broadcast\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ryan Clark<\/a> and Cam Newton, as well as reporter Tom Pelissero, who had joined the company from NFL Network. Clark\u2019s exit drew particular attention after more than a decade with the network.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The moves come as ESPN prepares for one of its most significant NFL coverage seasons yet, a run that will culminate with the network\u2019s first Super Bowl broadcast.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Front Office Sports reported that former All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith is expected to have an expanded role on ESPN studio programming. <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110760\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ESPNPR\/status\/2084247930668564766\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ESPN confirmed<\/a> Monday that Jason McCourty will join &#8220;Monday Night Countdown,&#8221; appearing to step into the opening created by Ryan Clark\u2019s layoff. McCourty joined ESPN in 2024 and is now exclusive to the network after leaving his CBS game analyst role earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110761\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON <\/strong><\/a><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110762\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>FOXNEWS.COM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Ryan Clark inside State Farm Stadium before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Ryan Clark of ESPN&#8217;s &#8220;Monday Night Football Countdown&#8221; before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona.<\/span> <span>(Ric Tapia\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Former NFL wide receiver <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110763\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/roddy-white-questions-49ers-handling-brandon-aiyuk-receivers-future-san-francisco-remains-unclear\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Roddy White<\/a> is among the latest sports figures to weigh in. White, who faced Clark during their playing careers, said Clark\u2019s abrupt ESPN exit stood out because of how highly he regarded the former analyst\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I think Ryan Clark is exceptional at his job,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s unfortunate that he got released by ESPN because he is so good at what he does. Usually, guys who are that good don&#8217;t lose their jobs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">White also pointed to Clark\u2019s outspokenness on issues beyond football, suggesting it may have been a factor in the separation.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/Roddy-White-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/Roddy-White-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/Roddy-White-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/Roddy-White-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/Roddy-White-Atlanta-Falcons.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Roddy White warms up before an NFL game\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) warms up before an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Georgia Dome on Sept. 3, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/span> <span>(Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Clark speaks up on a lot of issues outside of football. He is always standing up for the Black community and being on our side. I think this, and his opinionated nature, may have cost him his job because ESPN, as a network, doesn&#8217;t want people touching on politics and community-related topics. They just want everything to be sports-related.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110764\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/5-options-replace-ryan-clark-espn-super-bowl-halftime-show\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>5 OPTIONS TO REPLACE RYAN CLARK ON ESPN&#8217;S SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">White finished his 11-year career with the Atlanta Falcons with 10,863 regular-season receiving yards.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Clark had been one of ESPN\u2019s more visible <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110765\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/sports\/nfl\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">NFL<\/a> voices, regularly appearing on &#8220;NFL Live,&#8221; &#8220;First Take,&#8221; &#8220;Get Up&#8221; and &#8220;SportsCenter.&#8221; In 2023, at the 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, he took home the Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Personality\/Studio Analyst category for his work across ESPN platforms.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/ryan-clark-espnlayoffs-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/ryan-clark-espnlayoffs-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/ryan-clark-espnlayoffs-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/ryan-clark-espnlayoffs-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/ryan-clark-espnlayoffs-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Ryan Clark on set before the game at SoFi Stadium\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Ryan Clark of ESPN&#8217;s &#8220;Monday Night Countdown&#8221; on set before the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California.<\/span> <span>(Ric Tapia\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Clark had also been a fixture on the &#8220;Countdown&#8221; desk alongside Scott Van Pelt since 2023. His layoff, however, drew added scrutiny because it reportedly happened during an &#8220;NFL Live&#8221; broadcast, prompting questions about how the network handled the move.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">In 2021, Clark launched <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110767\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ThePivotPodcast\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;The Pivot Podcast&#8221;<\/a> with former NFL players Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. He has also hosted &#8220;Inside the NFL&#8221; since 2023.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><strong><em>Follow Fox News Digital\u2019s<\/em><\/strong><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110768\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FoxNewsSports_\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em> sports coverage on X<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>, and subscribe to<\/em><\/strong><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_110769\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em> the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/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>ESPN\u2019s latest round of layoffs last week included former NFL players-turned-TV analysts Ryan Clark and Cam Newton, as well as reporter Tom Pelissero, who had joined the company from NFL Network. Clark\u2019s exit drew particular attention after more than a decade with the network. The moves come as ESPN prepares for one of its most&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ryan-clark-nfc-wild-card-playoff.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29682","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=29682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}