Sports fans across social media have shown non-stop support for former NFL star Ryan Clark, as he has officially launched his own live sports show, The Pivot Sports with Ryan Clark. This comes after the shock of Clark being fired by ESPN during a commercial break on NFL Live. Clark did not come back for the last ten minutes of the show after being “forced” off- air.

“I wasn’t laid off, I was fired,” Clark explained on The Pivot podcast soon after more news about his fallout with ESPN came to light. “They are using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended to do.”

Ryan Clark Believes He Was Fired

The news of Clark’s firing was unexpected, since he was one of ESPN’S brightest and most in-demand stars for the last ten years. The network says it acted quickly because a layoff list had leaked to media outlets. Management is said to have feared Clark would find out via social media or a phone alert while on camera.

Clark is adamant that tensions began to rise between him and ESPN after Clark defended Kyren Lacy on air. Clark believed Lacy, a former wide receiver for the LSU Tigers, was innocent of a fatal 2024 car crash. The 46-year-old suspected that police officers had manipulated statements. Clark later apologized.

“Let me tell you why I know I was fired. When the Kyren Lacy news broke, there were people on our network, along with me, who said something about it,” Clark explained. “Both of those people apologized, as did I… I didn’t want to. After being told he could not come to work until he apologized, Clark responded, ” Well, I can’t come to work tomorrow, because I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

Clark is adamant in his belief, and what happened after the publication, OutKick, was said to have leaked the names of the people who were getting “laid off,” is also the publication that once “Vilified” him after his opinion on Lacy.

Ryan Clark Won’t Be Stopped

Clark has embraced the recent change. Months after his career was uncertain, Netflix signed him and The Pivot Podcast to a multi-year deal. Clark created and has hosted his interview-style podcast since 2022. The Pivot has interviewed everyone from politicians, movie stars, sports figures, and more by having deep, honest conversations about life transitions, sports, and personal growth.

Ryan Clark starts off The Pivot’s new football show with a monologue after getting let go by ESPN pic.twitter.com/eZUHZ0ABCY

— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) September 14, 2026

Now, the former Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive back is in control of launching The Pivot Sports with Ryan Clark. Along with his co-host, former NFL players Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, the weekly live studio program will feature a polished, ESPN-style set with large screens.

The YouTube show will include game analysis and breakdowns, in partnership with NFL Films. It will stream every Monday on the podcast’s YouTube channel, with Clark serving as both host and analyst.

Photo Credit: RealLClark/Instagram