Craig Carton’s SHOCKING Ryan Clark Reaction: ESPN Firing, Loyalty & The “Grudge List” Revealed!

**Craig Carton** (0:01)
521 Carton Show Big Mac, Willie Colon. Super Bowl champion, by the way. And of course, former Jet, not with the Jets, of course, is here. And I know he's your friend. I'm sorry to say this to you, but the conversation we had, what, three hours ago about Ryan Clark? Ryan Clark has been fired by ESPN.
So I get no joy out of that, but...

**Willie Colon** (0:24)
No, I wasn't expecting you to just look started. No, no, no, I didn't expect that.

**Craig Carton** (0:27)
But I obviously didn't see that coming.

**Willie Colon** (0:29)
I didn't see it coming, and I know there's reports... The reports are there talking about because he made $2 million a year. That may be a financial situation, to my understanding.

**Craig Carton** (0:38)
Okay.

**Willie Colon** (0:38)
As of right now. I could be totally wrong.

**Craig Carton** (0:40)
So I guess the last thing he said on ESPN, which some people did take exception to, was that Lamar Jackson, next to Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson is the most accomplished quarterback in the NFL today.
So I guess that's the last thing that he said. That's not why he got fired.

**Willie Colon** (0:59)
That's not going to get you fired.

**Craig Carton** (1:00)
No, I'm just saying that's, I think he just said that yesterday, I guess, on his last appearance on ESPN, but you said he's making a couple million bucks a year.

**Willie Colon** (1:07)
Two million.

**Craig Carton** (1:08)
So maybe his, was his contract coming up this year?

**Willie Colon** (1:10)
I think he, I think he had signed a big deal in 2024

**Craig Carton** (1:13)
Well then they still gotta pay him, right?
I don't think he's being fired for cause. He's just being fired. And what sucks for him is that ESPN slash ABC, But everybody's getting chopped. They've got the Super Bowl this year.

**Willie Colon** (1:26)
Yes.

**Craig Carton** (1:27)
So now he's not going to be a part of Super Bowl stuff.

**Willie Colon** (1:28)
That's why I'm pausing because I do know that ESPN has a Super Bowl this year. And he's always been on the desk for Monday Night Football. He's kind of been the face of...

**Craig Carton** (1:36)
He's been one of their biggest voices.

**Willie Colon** (1:38)
Correct.

**Craig Carton** (1:38)
So they obviously didn't want him to be one of their biggest voices at the Super Bowl. So you get fired before the season starts.

**Willie Colon** (1:45)
I mean as far as, obviously Stephen A is the guy and whatever.

**Craig Carton** (1:48)
But he's not a football expert. He's not like an insider. He's just, he's like a talk show host.

**Willie Colon** (1:52)
But I mean as far as ranking, like Ryan's the A team. He's a part of that A team. I agree, I agree.

**Craig Carton** (1:57)
I guess it's Rex Ryan's a part of that team now. Is that fair to say?
Like Mike Greenberg's a part of it as a host, not as an expert, as a host. Stephen A is a host, obviously an opinionated host, like we are here. Who would be the, Damian Woody maybe? Is Wood one of their top guys? He's a guy there. But I don't think he's the top guy, right?

**Willie Colon** (2:17)
No, it's Ryan Clark.

**Craig Carton** (2:18)
It's Ryan Clark, yeah.

**Willie Colon** (2:19)
So what else?

**Craig Carton** (2:20)
So he's gonna get replaced.

**Willie Colon** (2:22)
Who?

**Craig Carton** (2:22)
I don't know. I guess it's him and Dan Orlowski, right?

**Willie Colon** (2:25)
Orlowski's the next big name.

**Craig Carton** (2:26)
So I guess maybe he just eats up whatever Ryan Clark had there. I honestly don't know.

**Willie Colon** (2:31)
Yeah, but NFL Live, it's Big Swagoo, Marcus Spears. You have Ryan Clark.

**Craig Carton** (2:36)
Right, Marcus is good. I like him.

**Willie Colon** (2:38)
I forgot the other lady, the host, she kind of runs the gamut.

**Craig Carton** (2:41)
Got it.

**Willie Colon** (2:42)
NFL Live is one of the Emmys. That program does well.

**Craig Carton** (2:45)
Okay, well, he's out. So he still has the pivot though.

**Willie Colon** (2:49)
Correct, which does extremely well for my understanding.

**Craig Carton** (2:51)
I'm not sure about that.

**Willie Colon** (2:53)
What do you mean?

**Craig Carton** (2:54)
No, I'm not saying that. I like it. I happen to like the pivot a lot.

**Willie Colon** (2:58)
You said you cried.

**Craig Carton** (2:59)
I cried a few times at the pivot.

**Willie Colon** (3:00)
Watching the pivot.

**Craig Carton** (3:01)
Yeah, I have.

**Willie Colon** (3:02)
Right.

**Craig Carton** (3:03)
I don't know how well it does. I just know I cried once or twice.