Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter is done at FS1. The network issued a statement on Thursday confirming that Carter will not be returning to the network’s morning show First Things First.
Carter has not been on any FOX shows since October 30. At the time, The Big Lead reported that Carter had been suspended, but did not have details to offer.
Earlier this week Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that Carter was upset that FOX was not using him as part of its Thursday Night Football studio team. The pregame and halftime shows originate out of the same Manhattan studio where Carter and Nick Wright host First Things First.
Rather than using Carter, FOX had been paying to fly Tony Gonzalez in every week. He lives in Los Angeles full time. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculates that the final straw for Carter came last week when Tony Bradshaw was absent. Instead of turning to Carter, FOX brought Reggie Bush in from its Big Noon Kickoff college football show.
Carter may very well have been upset about not being used more, but according to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, it is not the reason FS1 has chosen to move on. “Sources said the matter at hand is more serious,” Marchand writes. He notes that Carter was not available for comment and FOX Sports has said they have nothing further to offer at this time.
Carter came to FOX in December 2016 after successful stints with ESPN and HBO’s Inside the NFL. Former Giants lineman and ESPN New York host Chris Canty has been filling in on First Things First in Carter’s absence.
