"ESPN made him do this" - NFL fans react to Ryan Clark apologizing to RG III after dragging his wife in Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark controversy

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark issued an apology for dragging Robert Griffin III's wife, Grete, into his feud with the former NFL quarterback.

In an episode of "The Pivot Podcast" that was released on Friday, Clark admitted to being wrong when he referred to Grete's skin color while clashing with Griffin over the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese issue.

Clark posted a clipped-up version of his apology on social media, but some fans felt that ESPN forced the analyst to apologize for his comments on Grete.

"ESPN made him do this," one tweeted.

"Oh yea. ESPN pulled up and said 'spin that apology or sign these papers' I respect the breakdown, too. But this wasn't because RC felt he needed to do it," another added.

"@espn got him. sold as f," a third commented.

Others praised Clark for his apology to Grete.

"Takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong love the accountability," one added.

"All Apologies should be accepted because it's a sign of intelligence and caring which leads to humility this is a positive step," a user wrote.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Whether you guys agree with Ryan or not, he took accountability and apologized. Now is the time to move on. So do that…," a fan commented.

After his apology, Clark said that he initially intended to emphasize how meaningful relationships with black women have shaped his own views. He also said that he did not mean to discredit or diminish anyone else.

Stephen A. Smith did not want fellow ESPN analyst Ryan Clark fired over controversial comments on Robert Griffin III's wife

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark - Source: Getty

When Ryan Clark made his controversial comments on Robert Griffin III's wife, Grete, fans called for ESPN to fire him. However, Clark's fellow ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith hit back at those who urged the company to sack his colleague.

“I don’t want to hear s**t about Ryan Clark getting fired,” Smith said on his show. “I don’t want to hear that. Clark is my colleague, he is my friend and brother. He is a good man and a good brother. There is no way on Earth that I would be quiet if he was fired over something like this.

"I’m not saying he’s right, and I’ll get into that in a second. But this is not a fireable offense. I don’t usually talk about ESPN business. And I’m not going to right now. Other than to say, RGIII clearly is not liked by Ryan Clark. What Clark said is not something he usually does. Corny, phony, those are the kinds of things he said about RGIII specifically. That’s what he feels."

Clark signed a contract extension with ESPN in February 2024. He reportedly earns around $2 million per year on his current deal with the broadcast giant.