{"id":5293,"date":"2026-07-24T23:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T23:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5293"},"modified":"2026-07-24T23:37:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T23:37:24","slug":"ryan-clark-tears-up-as-he-tells-all-about-his-shock-espn-firing-using-layoffs-as-a-cover-and-a-camouflage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5293","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Clark tears up as he tells all about his shock ESPN firing: ‘Using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Ryan Clark\u2019s ESPN exit is hitting him hard. <\/p>\n

The ex-NFL defensive back was among the many let go by the Worldwide Leader this week, and he went on his \u201cThe Pivot\u201d podcast Friday to discuss what went down. <\/p>\n

Read more Potential Lindsay Clancy jurors were asked intimate questions before being sat for murder trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Clark, 46, even teared up at one point during the show as the weight of it all seemed to sink in.<\/p>\n

Clark made clear how his end at ESPN came to be: \u201cLet me put this to bed \u2014 I wasn\u2019t laid off, I was fired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing,\u201d Clark added. \u201cBut there was no cause for it. So because there was no cause for it, you couldn\u2019t just fire me, you had to wait \u2019til the layoffs so you could camouflage it and veil it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark made an appearance on \u201cNFL Live\u201d on Monday and was told during the program \u2014 as word leaked that he was being let go from the network \u2014 about ESPN\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, when Clark re-shared a story from TMZ that said he was not forced from the program mid-show, he wrote on X: \u201cI wasn\u2019t forced? \u2018I ask, should I be done now?\u2019 The answer was \u2018yes.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Killer mom Lindsay Clancy\u2019s ex-husband is remarried to NYC fertility doctor after he lost all 3 kids: \u2018Heart of gold\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

As Clark reflected on his time at ESPN and sports media in general on \u201cThe Pivot,\u201d he began to tear up in what was an emotional scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I go home \u2026 and this kid from the West Bank is so accepted in New Orleans now, I wouldn\u2019t change that, you know, never,\u201d Clark said as he wiped away tears. \u201cAll I ever wanted to do was be accepted. \u2026 So yeah, I wouldn\u2019t change.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion during his 13 years in the NFL, Clark joined ESPN after his retirement in 2015 and was a staple on \u201cNFL Live,\u201d \u201cSportsCenter\u201d and \u201cFirst Take.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Clark, on Friday evening, shared a post from \u201cNFL Live\u201d host Laura Rutledge and thanked his co-panelists Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky and Marcus Spears.<\/p>\n

I love you Cap!! Sharing a desk with you,@minakimes,@mspears96 & @danorlovsky7 has been one of the greatest honors of my life\u201d Clark wrote. \u201cIt\u2019s not even about the trophies. It\u2019s about the people! You\u2019re my family, my sister, & that has nothing to do with where I do or don\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Tony Romo\u2019s arrest came after rough golf round \u2014\u00a0that earned him $60<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former NFL star Ryan Clark choked up on his podcast, claiming ESPN fired him and used recent layoffs as camouflage to cover up his exit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"\nRyan Clark tears up as he tells all about his shock ESPN firing: 'Using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5293\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ryan Clark tears up as he tells all about his shock ESPN firing: 'Using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage' - 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