Robert Griffin III is not happy seeing so many laid off from the media, with many more to come, so he had to speak out on it.
The former NFL QB and ESPN analyst is making his stance clear on the topic and calling out the NFL.
Griffin, who has been with ESPN since August 2021, remarked in a recent episode of the podcast “Front Office Sports Today” that it’s disheartening to see the NFL laying off devoted media professionals as annual revenue approaches $20 billion.
“I want to say, first and foremost, I’m praying for all of those people and want them to land on their feet, because none of us want that to be happening,” he said. “But it’s also difficult when you see the NFL broker a deal like the one with Peacock, where they’re making $110 million for one playoff game, and then saying, ‘We can’t pay the media to continue to support their families. We have to cut back on the amount of people being paid in those regards,’ when there are countless amounts of money that’s being made. It’s tough, it’s really tough.”
Reporter Jim Trotter did not get his contract renewed with the NFL Network shortly after he publicly asked Commissioner Roger Goodell about the lack of diversity among NFL Media leadership.
The 33-year-old Griffin said he originally wasn’t interested in broadcasting, because he thought the media treated him unfairly as a player. He would eventually change his mind after thinking he could help foster a change.
“I realized this was a real opportunity for me to make an impact in a way that would be very reflective of how my career went, as in, ‘Hey, I didn’t love how I was mischaracterized, so I make sure I don’t mischaracterize people,’” he said. “I didn’t love how some of the stories told about me became personal. So I make sure the stories I tell about these players aren’t personal.”
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For Griffin, he is still flirting with the chance he might get back into the NFL for a team that needs a veteran.
As of now, Griffin works with ESPN on the Monday Night Football pre-game show and calls college football games every Saturday.
Griffin played college football at Baylor University, where he had a highly successful career. In 2011, he won the Heisman Trophy after leading Baylor to a remarkable season.
In the 2012 NFL Draft, Washington selected Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick. He had an impressive rookie season, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, things would quickly change with an injury in the playoffs.
He suffered a significant knee injury in the playoffs following his rookie season and struggled with subsequent injuries in the following years. He would never really fully recover to show what he could’ve done after that injury.
