Ryan Clark reportedly agrees to stay at ESPN

Ryan Clark is reportedly staying at ESPN after contract negotiation issues, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

Earlier this month, Clark sent a cryptic message to the company with a video on social media. He essentially said he wanted what he was worth and was unsure of what the future would bring.

His contract ran out days before the Super Bowl but it was extended through the Big Game, according to Marchand. Now, Clark is reportedly in agreement with a brand new deal for the foreseeable future.

“ESPN is expected to announce the new deal soon,” Marchand wrote. “The network declined comment. The signing of extensions is generally mundane, but Clark made his displeasure with ESPN’s offer public.

“Clark is expected to continue his podcast, ‘The Pivot,’ which is unassociated with ESPN. He hosted ‘Inside the NFL’ last year, which appeared on The CW during the season. He is a contributor to ESPN’s ‘NFL Live’ and was a regular on ‘Monday Night Countdown.’”

Clark also co-hosted an MMA show with former UFC champion Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, which has a shade under two million subscribers. Clark already announced his departure from that show.

It looks like Clark won’t return to that program as Cormier announced a rebrand of the show with former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen.

“So now, here we are against the season’s over,” Clark said in his video after initially appearing to depart ESPN. “Inside the NFL is finished. And somebody’s got to pay the piper and the season. You know, we get what we want, or we make a decision to stand on what we’re worth. It’s not that I think that I should be payed more than anybody that does the job. I just want what I’m worth.

“And if they think that I’m the best doing it, then that’s what’ll happen. You know, when the year started, I said I was going to do more. I was going to be in more places, I was going to work harder than everybody. 

“But what I realized is you only got so much to give and all you can give is all the energy that God gives you. And I did that, but I also learned that you run out and at some point you don’t have nothing left. Your health, your mental stability, emotional strength, family, all of it. It takes a toll on it all.”