NFL analyst Ryan Clark believes the timing of a ESPN Sophie Cunningham profile, where she made remarks on transgender athletes in women’s sports, was to distract from the Worldwide Leader’s handling of his firing in July.
During an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast on Thursday, Clark — who was fired on-air the day before ESPN published Cunningham’s interview on July 21 — claimed the timing of everything was intentional and “what they wanted” at the time.
“Sophie Cunningham says something and they [OutKick] say, ‘A great brand switch for ESPN. Ryan Clark was fired this week and now Sophie Cunningham leads the news,’” Clark said before alleging ESPN leaked the news of his firing to OutKick.
“That’s what they [ESPN] wanted. That’s why you leaked it to them. And so I think everything points to it, but I should have — my antenna should have been up more and even with that, there was nothing I could change.”
Cunningham’s interview with ESPN made waves across the WNBA and well beyond.
She told the outlet that she wants to “protect young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men” — which sparked debates around the league on the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports.
President Donald Trump praised her during multiple campaign rallies in October.
Clark went on to explain that he saw signs before his firing because he wasn’t involved in ESPN’s rollout of its Super Bowl 2027 plans.
“There was a commercial first and when they did the commercial Marcus [Spears] and Laura [Rutledge] were in it … I’m not involved,” Clark said. “But most of the people that are on ‘Monday Night Countdown’ were a part of it. But I had gotten so used to being treated a certain way and not put on the front that I wasn’t even tripping about it.
“Then we went to Fanatics Fest [in July] and Disney had something that was posted about the Super Bowl [in 2027] and I wasn’t on it. So I say all that to say, that this was the plan.”
Clark learned he was laid off by ESPN during a Monday appearance on “NFL Live” and the day before the company announced another round of layoffs.
ESPN broke the news to the Super Bowl champion safety during the show due to concerns that it would leak, per The Athletic.
Clark joined the company in 2015 and won a Sports Emmy in May 2023 for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst for this work at ESPN.
This isn’t the first time Clark opened the floodgates on his ESPN firing.
During and appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” last month, Clark said his firing was “purposeful” and he accused ESPN of intentionally leaking the news to “humiliate” him in the public eye.
Clark also explained on “The Breakfast Club” that he has a non-compete with ESPN for the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of February — and he can’t work as an NFL analyst on a network until his contract with ESPN expires.
Clark — who co-hosts a podcast, “The Pivot,” with former NFL players Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder — started his own show, a weekly live NFL studio program with NFL Studios.
The trio announced a multi-year deal The Pivot and Netflix in August.
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