ESPN Fires Former Ravens QB Robert Griffin III

Former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III is part of a stunning shakeup at ESPN.

Oct 16, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Robert Griffin III on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In a stunning shakeup, ESPN has abruptly parted ways with former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand first broke the news of Griffin's firing, with only "financial reasons" cited.

Griffin, 34, had been with the network since August of 2021, working as an analyst on "Monday Night Countdown" and a college football color commentator, among other roles. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was once viewed as a rising star in the industry, but according to Marchand, his stock has fallen recently.

On April 29, ESPN announced that longtime Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce would replace Griffin on "Monday Night Countdown." It's possible that this decision ultimately led to his firing on Thursday.

Griffin was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington and actually won Offensive Rookie of the Year that year over Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and others. Unfortuantely, he suffered a gruesome knee injury late in the season that completely derailed his career, made worse by Washington rushing him back to the field far too soon. He was ultimately benched for Kirk Cousins in 2015, and a one-year stint with the Cleveland Browns didn't help revive his career.

After a year away from football, Griffin signed with the Ravens in 2018 as a backup and mentor to a then-rookie Lamar Jackson. He appeared in 14 games for Baltimore, including two starts, and completed 56.9 percent of his passes for 288 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, adding another 139 yards on the ground.

Along with Griffin, ESPN also fired "NFL Countdown" host Sam Ponder, who had been with the network since 2011 and hosted the program since 2017. Both Griffin and Ponder reportedly made more than seven figures per year.

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