One former ESPNer is alleging one of its talents wanted to make sure his new deal paid him more than a colleague. According to Jason Whitlock on X, Ryan Clark’s recent social media activity was all about securing a contract that was worth more than NFL analyst Mina Kimes’ deal:
For the uninitiated, Ryan Clark posted a lengthy video to his social media pages discussing the uncertainty of his future with ESPN, saying that his last deal with ESPN “wasn’t what he wanted” and that he “felt played.” This time around, he vowed things would be different, saying that he would, “leave no doubt that there was nobody in the world that was like [Clark].” That manifested in a new deal with ESPN, totaling over $2 million per year according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, making him one of the highest-paid analysts at ESPN.
For what it’s worth, Kimes signed a deal in Sept. that pays her $1.7 million annually, meaning that Clark did wind up getting more than Kimes. However, it’s unknown if Kimes’ contract specifically was a sticking point for Clark or if he just simply wanted to be a top-X paid analyst within the company.
Outside of contributing to ESPN’s football coverage on NFL Live, he makes appearances on ESPN’s other shows, like First Take, Get Up, SportsCenter, and more. He is also the host of The CW’s Inside the NFL, a role that Clark admitted was something different. He also previously hosted an MMA show alongside former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier before it was revealed that “DC” would now host a new show alongside fellow UFC alum Chael Sonnen.
As part of Clark’s video, he mentioned his energy being finite, which may have led to his MMA show and other responsibilities going by the wayside as part of this new deal, but there has been no official word as to whether that’s the case or not.
“What I realized is, you only got so much to give, and all you can give is all the energy that God gives you,” Clark said. “And I did that, but I also learned that you run out. And at some point, you don’t have nothing left. I’d do whatever it took to get what I want, and that I’d work harder and longer now to work less and make more then. And I felt like I put myself in that spot.”
