Last week, NFL Network’s Jim Trotter announced he would be departing NFL Media after being told his contract would not be renewed.
Trotter had publicly questioned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the lack of diversity in NFL Media’s executive and newsroom roles at his “State of the League” address at the Super Bowl in February. It was the second consecutive year Trotter had asked the question, which he argued wasn’t an attack on the Commissioner or a “gotcha” moment, but simply asking that “the league’s actions reflecting their words”.
While announcing his departure, Trotter said “I thank NFL Network and NFL.com for the lessons learned and affirmed over the last five years.”
After his departure was announced, The New York Post included a tidbit that 58% of new full-time hires at NFL Media were people of color, with the three most recent executives hired by the organization fitting that description. Trotter balked at the claim, saying that the entity saw zero Black senior managers at the news desk. He called the claim “a banana in the tailpipe.”
Many in sports media viewed Trotter’s non-renewal as retribution for his public questioning of Goodell. He told Peter King’s Football Morning in America that he was offered a severance agreement from NFL Media, but refused to accept the terms.
“I was offered a three-month severance package, with an NDA [non-disclosure agreement]. I declined,” Trotter revealed.
King said the situation was “wrong on several levels”, and added that Trotter “got railroaded”.
Trotter is not the only NFL Media employee to depart the company recently. Both Rachel Bonnetta and Willie McGinest exited last week.
