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Ryan Clark has been with ESPN since 2015, a move that was made possible after he signed a 3-year contract extension with the Worldwide Leader in Sports exactly three years ago.
That contract extension is up and normally in any business someone who works so hard and does so much for their employer would receive a quick contract extension including a bump in comp along with other deal sweeteners. But Ryan Clark has taken to social media to shine a spotlight on his contract extension negotiations, or lack thereof, and it appears his days in Bristol might be numbered.
On X (formerly Twitter), Ryan Clark shared a message listing his accomplishments along with a hype video of… his accomplishments. We’re hard-pressed to recall a time an ESPN personality has ever used a hype video of their times on camera during contract negotiations:
3 years ago I signed an extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for more time. I excited to prove I was worth more, felt I deserved more. We disagreed, & that’s ok. I set out on a mission to leave no doubt, end all conversations about my who I was in this business. I added… pic.twitter.com/oVrClmctUg
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) February 14, 2024
Ryan Clark’s caption on the post reads:
“3 years ago I signed an extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for more time. I excited to prove I was worth more, felt I deserved more. We disagreed, & that’s ok. I set out on a mission to leave no doubt, end all conversations about my who I was in this business. I added @thepivot. Can’t wait for our second season of @insidetheNFL!”
“I knew it would take effort. I knew that effort didn’t promise results, but I dug in. Here we are now. The season is over. The deal is up. Time to make a decision. Either way it goes. The mission don’t change. I want to be the best doing it. Everyone should. I’m more motivated today than ever. I’m still the same #UndraftedFreeAgent!”
The top comment on X joked “Sounds like this right here…. is ‘The Pivot’ from ESPN.”
There is some very interesting language in Ryan Clark’s shot over ESPN’s bow. In particular, the part where he says “The deal is up. Time to make a decision.”
Taken at face value, that would imply (1) his current deal with ESPN is over and (2) there is a decision to be made. Reading between the lines there would seem to be a new offer on his desk or at the bare minimum, a decision about whether to enter negotiations over another offer or to leave ESPN.
Ryan Clark currently wears a ton of hats at ESPN and elsewhere. He’s appeared on First Take, SportsCenter, Get Up!, and NFL Live as well as hosting ‘Inside The NFL’ on the CW. Clark also won a Sports Emmy Award in 2023 for ‘Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst.’