ESPN has reportedly fired football analyst Robert Griffin III and “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Samantha Ponder in a stunning shakeup designed to cut significant costs.
Both on-air personalities had been earning over seven figures and were still under contract with the network when they were informed of the decision Thursday morning, The Athletic reported.
ESPN’s parent company, Walt Disney, is said to have made the cuts before the conclusion of the current financial quarter at the end of September.
The cuts do not appear to have affected any other on-air talent.
Ponder only hosted the network’s flagship NFL preview show during football season and was off the rest of the year. She replaced Chris Berman as host in 2017. Laura Rutledge and Mike Greenberg, who both host daily programs, are reportedly possible replacements for Ponder.
Griffin had previously been demoted from “Monday Night Countdown” when the network hired retired Eagles star Jason Kelce in April. He also worked as an in-booth analyst during college football broadcasts and appeared on studio NFL panels.
Griffin, a former NFL quarterback and Heisman winner, seemed to cryptically refer to the news earlier on Thursday before posting a clip from the comedy film “Friday” in which John Witherspoon asks Ice Cube how he was fired from his job on his day off.
His wife, Grete Griffin, also responded to the news on social media.
“When a window closes, a door will open,” she posted on X, along with a twinkling star emoji.
It’s unclear when either Griffin or Ponder will be free to pursue broadcast jobs on rival networks. The new NFL season kicks off Sept. 5.
ESPN has tightened its belt several times in recent years. Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose were among the household names and on-air personalities fired by the network last June.
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