Ryan Clark Unnecessarily Belittling Peter Schrager on Live TV Enrages Fans – “At What Point Does ESPN Fire Him?”

Ryan Clark and the NFL crew at ESPN recently added former NFL Network analyst Peter Schrager to their team.

Ryan Clark Unnecessarily Belittling Peter Schrager on Live TV Enrages Fans – “At What Point Does ESPN Fire Him?”

Ryan Clark belittled Peter Schrager on Get Up (Image via Barstool Sports/X/Imago)

ESPN has a generally respectable crew covering the NFL. Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, and others have done a decent job so far. Last season, Jason Kelce joined their ranks, and most recently, the network hired Peter Schrager.

The latter was about to lose his job when the league decided that it would wind down its in-house production. He moved first and joined ESPN before it was decided that the network would then buy out NFL Network completely.

The 43-year-old is a respected analyst and typically does not venture into controversies. He is known for his hard-working ways, which were evident when he paid for his tickets to attend Super Bowls when the NFL Network declined to fund his visit.

Now, he is butting heads with ESPN’s best and saw himself arguing on Get Up. He was trying to explain how CeeDee Lamb‘s production from the season-opener compared to AJ Brown‘s lackluster night was immaterial as the Eagles won. Hearing this, Clark said:

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.

Ryan Clark said

Before he could go on, Schrager replied:

I’m not looking at fantasy football. Ryan, don’t belittle me like that. I can come in, as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative that maybe CeeDee Lamb did play well.

Peter Schrager responded

The Super Bowl XLIII champion then tried to divert the slight towards himself and proceeded to talk about how, as a player, that opinion might not stand.

Fans fume at Ryan Clark for his shot at Peter Schrager

Even though Ryan Clark tried to defuse the situation, the clip ended up causing a furor on social media. Fans thought there was no need for the former safety to belittle a renowned analyst in Peter Schrager. He was merely stating an opinion, and if the Louisiana native did not appreciate that opinion, he could have countered it in ways other than how he tried to show that ex-players know better.

Fans know this is not the first time Clark has said something controversial, and wonder how he keeps his job at ESPN. Some even called for him to be fired after his mishaps had far outweighed what he brings as an analyst.

Some even went as far as to say that Clark speaks with prejudice, and that has stopped him from truly exploring his potential as an analyst. Instead, these controversial moments end up becoming the point of focus. Check out examples of those enraged reactions below:

Even though Ryan Clark did try to apologize initially, it seems fans are fed up with his rhetoric. They are demanding that ESPN remove him from NFL shows so that they can listen to analysts use logic rather than try and always use superiority and race as the basis of every conversation.

Ryan Clark apologizes for controversy involving Peter Schrager

Ever since clips of this exchange made their way to social media, they have garnered millions of views along with thousands of comments flaming Ryan Clark for belittling Peter Schrager.

Ryan Clark has been receiving increasing heat due to his opinions
Ryan Clark has been receiving increasing heat due to his opinions (Image via Barstool Sports/X)

Of late, the former Pittsburgh Steeler has taken to public apologies whenever the heat gets a bit too much to handle. This time, he followed the same pattern and wrote this on X.

Today, I had an interaction with my colleague Peter Schrager, both on and off the air, that I regret. I have apologized to Peter and taken accountability with ESPN leadership. I value working with Peter and look forward to this season. My focus will remain on professionalism, teamwork, and being a better teammate moving forward.

Ryan Clark wrote

This apology should calm the nerves of fans for now. But it has been a while since they have been calling for his head, and they will continue to do so whenever such instances repeat.

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