Robert Griffin III calls out Paul Finebaum over behavior on ESPN

Former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback turned football analyst and media personality Robert Griffin III wasn’t shy regarding his feelings for Paul Finebaum as he adjusts to life outside of ESPN.

To say Griffin III and Finebaum clashed a bit during the former’s time at the World Wide Leader would be an understatement. During an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take, the former Baylor star elaborated on his relationship with Finebaum, and why they butted heads at times.

“Wow, that is a heavy one. I don’t think he did. I have no proof of that,” Griffin III responded when asked if Finebaum got him fired from ESPN. “What I do know is that, when I’m on TV with somebody, I just feel like there’s a way to tell stories the right way, and there’s a way to cover the athletes the right way. And I didn’t feel like, at times, in — I think it was like two instances, when I was on First Take with Paul, that he was — he was taking care of their stories the right way.

“And like, I wouldn’t come to you and be like — we can disagree, right? I’m not gonna say, ‘Big Cat’s a fraud,’ right? That’s a strong term. I’m not gonna say that PFT is irrelevant. That’s personal.”

Evidently, Griffin III doesn’t believe Finebaum played a hand in his exit from ESPN, but he does recognizes there was some tension there between the two. Regardless, Griffin III is thriving doing his own thing at the moment, which he touched on while explaining how his departure from ESPN was handled.

“I first have to say I was not fired. I was laid off. There is a difference. I am getting paid by ESPN while I’m off,” Griffin III revealed. “The first reaction was, why? So you go through the process of, ‘Why did this happen?’ Okay, let me look at performance. They’re saying it’s not performance based. They put me on Monday Night Countdown. Blessed me with that opportunity. I was very thankful to be on the show. … For me, it was more of a, ‘They put me on here for a reason.’ I was a younger guy. Everyone else on the set was a little older. They wanted to hit the younger demographic, just like everyone is trying to do right now, when it comes to content creation. And we accomplished that. The show was a success.

“Then, we changed the show. … You go on that show and the ratings stay the same. So, then they bring Jason Kelce in. It’s like, ‘We should be on this thing together, having a good time. Two great personalities.’ I love Jason. I think he’s a phenomenal dude. … When I looked at it from that point, it’s like, ‘Okay, it’s not performance based. They’re telling me it’s not performance based. Then what is it about?’ And I don’t know.

“But what I can do is I can sit here and twiddle my thumbs for three, four months, five months, and try to figure out, ‘Well, why did this happen?’ Or, I can just go, move on and have fun. Enjoy the process. … It’s been a fun process for me, and I’ve got some stuff in the works that’s going to be coming up here in the next couple weeks, and I’m blessed to be a part of those opportunities. But you just don’t want to sit on your hands and feel sorry for yourself.”

Alas, Robert Griffin III is still one of the bright, young stars in sports media, even if he’s not with ESPN any longer. His journey is only beginning, and he’s looking to continue outshining the industry’s expectations for him.