It doesn’t appear that Ryan Clark will be punished for his comments toward Peter Schrager or an off-camera “interaction” that took place between the two ESPN NFL analysts.
In fact, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, both Clark and Schrager will be a part of Monday’s episode of NFL Live and could share the screen in multiple segments.
Monday’s episode of NFL Live comes just three days after Clark attempted to discredit Schrager’s analysis because he isn’t a former NFL player. During a discussion on Get Up, the former Pittsburgh Steelers safety took issue with the former NFL Network star’s commentary regarding A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb’s performances in the Philadelphia Eagles’ season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys the previous night.
“The thing is this, though. And we shouldn’t do this on TV. So, I apologize if people think this is rude — that’s the non-player in you,” Clark said.
“I’m not looking at fantasy football. Ryan, don’t belittle me like that,” Schrager responded. “I can come in, as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative that maybe CeeDee Lamb did play well.”
“What I need you to do is to not get mad and let me finish for one,” Clark replied. “It wasn’t about you, it was going to be about me. I can’t speak for CeeDee Lamb; I’m speaking for me.”
The conversation wasn’t just tense, but apparently it also extended past the on-air segment. In a social media post on Friday night, Clark apologized for the comments, as well as a previously unknown off-camera “interaction” between the two.
Shortly after the apology, Front Office Sports reported that the former LSU star “could be on thin ice” as a result of the incident, fueling speculation that he could be facing some sort of punishment from ESPN. It doesn’t, however, appear that will be the case, although it will certainly be worth monitoring what Monday’s episode of NFL Live brings.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.