One of ESPN's most notable employees, and former NFL safety, Ryan Clark, was fired from the four-letter network during "NFL Live" on Monday. The Dallas Cowboys are somehow the team in the middle of this controversy, and it goes all the way back nine months to Dallas' opening loss to Philadelphia.
It was when CeeDee Lamb had an off-game in the fourth quarter against the Birds when he dropped some key passes down the stretch. Lamb still had a fine night with seven receptions for 110 yards. On the other hand, A.J. Brown finished with one catch for eight yards, as he was blanketed all night long. Clark still defended Brown, saying he was the one who went 1-0 on the season, even though he laid an egg.
Per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the peak of ESPN executives growing frustrated with Clark was when he belittled his own colleague, Peter Schrager. After Schrager defended Lamb's performance, Clark clapped back at Schrager and said, "That's the non-player in you."
CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys were awkwardly caught in the middle of Ryan Clark's firing
Schrager responded by saying not to belittle him, and Clark said to let him finish his point. It was a weird take to say from the start, because Lamb obviously had the much better performance, but to belittle a co-worker like that on the air is indefensible.
It seemed like a separate issue at the time, but Marchand says this was the peak of ESPN executives growing tired.
In another video that went viral on social media, Clark said the Cowboys' expectations of a Super Bowl are realistic, and fans were quick to point out that he was fired after making that comment. It was awkward timing, but it seemed like that had nothing to do with Clark's firing.
"Are the Super Bowl expectations realistic for the Cowboys this year?"@Realrclark25 breaks down why Dallas can be looked at as a potential Super Bowl contender ✍️ pic.twitter.com/XW1lc9JKv2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 20, 2026
As for Lamb himself, he and Pickens are going to be one of the more elite WR duos in the NFL, and they form an unofficial "big three" with Prescott at QB.
As for Brown, the Cowboys don't have to worry about him anymore. The former Eagles All-Pro WR is now with New England and won't have to see him twice a season.
It seems silly that the Cowboys, out of all teams, are getting the most attention out of Clark's firing now, but it turns out there was a lot of baggage on Clark's end.
Belittling a co-worker on national TV to gain clicks and attention has been something sports personalities haven't been afraid to do. For example, Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe on FS1's "Undisputed" had a complicated relationship, to say the least, but Bayless would take personal shots at Sharpe on the air, and fans didn't like it at all.
If there's a lesson here to be had, be respectful of your co-workers, regardless of whether you agree or disagree.
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