Ryan Clark learned ESPN layoff news during NFL Live break, TMZ says

Ryan Clark’s ESPN layoff landed in the middle of a live workday, with the former NFL player being told during a break in Monday’s broadcast of NFL Live, according to TMZ.

A person with direct knowledge told TMZ that Clark had originally been set to receive the news Tuesday as part of a wider round of cuts at the network. That plan changed Monday, the outlet reported, after ESPN learned that a report about Clark’s layoff was expected to publish while he was appearing on the show.

According to TMZ, network decision-makers faced a quick call: tell Clark before the news surfaced publicly, or risk him seeing it on his phone during the program.

Break-time decision

TMZ reported that ESPN chose to inform Clark during a commercial break. The reason, according to the person who spoke with the outlet, was to keep him from finding out through an alert while he was still taking part in the broadcast.

Clark did not return to the program after being told, TMZ said. The outlet reported that the news affected him, and that both Clark and ESPN agreed it was better for him to stay off the rest of the show.

The report also pushed back on the idea that Clark had been physically removed from the set. TMZ said Clark was appearing remotely by Zoom and was not inside the studio, meaning there was no on-set exit to carry out.

What viewers saw

TMZ also addressed speculation that Clark’s NFL Live colleagues knew in advance what was about to happen. Some viewers apparently read on-camera nodding from the panel as a sign that the rest of the cast had been briefed.

The person with direct knowledge told TMZ that was not the case. According to the outlet, the nodding was just Clark’s colleagues agreeing with the football points he was making during what became his final segment on the show.

Clark later addressed the situation on social media Tuesday morning, TMZ reported. He sent prayers and love to other people who lost their jobs and said he was ready for what comes next.

TMZ had previously reported that Clark was among those affected by ESPN’s layoffs. The network’s handling of the timing became a talking point because the news reached him while he was still in the middle of an on-air assignment.

According to TMZ’s account, ESPN moved up the conversation once it became clear the layoff news was about to break publicly. Clark’s absence from the rest of the broadcast, the outlet reported, followed a mutual decision after he was told.

This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.