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Robert Griffin III and Samantha Ponder Fired By ESPN, Per Report

Stephen Douglas

Dec 4, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; ESPN Marcus Spears (right center) and Robert Griffin III (right) broadcast before a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; ESPN Marcus Spears (right center) and Robert Griffin III (right) broadcast before a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Griffin III and Samantha Ponder have been fired by ESPN, according to a report from The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. According to the report these decisions were strictly budgetary.

The timing of the announcements was shocking, as was the wording. The NFL season is just a few weeks away and Ponder most recently hosted Sunday NFL Countdown. She had been with ESPN since 2011.

Griffin joined ESPN in 2021 and had two years remaining on his contract. He was a rising star at ESPN and was regularly featured on their high-profile morning shows as well as in a prominent role on Monday Night Countdown. He was recently replaced on Countdown by Jason Kelce.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a Senior Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in journalism and media since 2008, and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Stephen spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and has previously written for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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