ESPN has parted ways with Robert Griffin III and NFL Countdown host Sam Ponder, Deadline has learned.
Sources tell us that the decision to cut both on-air personalities was based on a business decision to reduce costs and will be paid off for the rest of their contracts.
The Athletic, which first reported the news, said Griffin had two years left on his deal while Ponder was about to enter the last year of her three-year deal.
Breaking: Sam Ponder Fired at Espn. pic.twitter.com/iCCbFyEeBd
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 15, 2024
Griffin’s exit from ESPN comes as the sports network signed retired Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce as host for Monday Night Countdown.
ESPN Fires Former Commanders Quarterback Just Weeks Before NFL Season
Former Commanders QB Robert Griffin III was let go by his employer on Thursday.
The Washington Commanders selected former quarterback Robert Griffin III with their second overall pick back in the 2012 NFL draft. ‘RGIII’ had a ton of hype around him coming out of Baylor, but things never fully reached their potential throughout his seven-year NFL career that spanned across the Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.
Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III have been fired by ESPN, according to sources.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 15, 2024
These are budget moves. These are the only two being let go as ESPN ends its fiscal year.
Story in progress and being updated here: https://t.co/imlI4S4FEc
Following his professional football career, RGIII began a career as an NFL and college football analyst/insider for ESPN and was a fixture amongst football fans’ televisions across the country as he also dabbled with broadcasting in his newfound passion.
Griffin, who as recently as last year had been viewed as a rising star at ESPN, had two years remaining on his deal. He was hired three years ago after gaining interest from Fox Sports and ESPN. At the time, sources at both networks raved about what they described as one of the best auditions they have ever seen.
He was considered strongly to be ESPN’s No. 2 college football game analyst with Sean McDonough last season, but the job went to Greg McElroy.