"Just shut up already" - NFL fans react to Ryan Clark apologizing to his "biracial" daughter Jaden after RG III controversy

The controversy between Ryan Clark and Robert Griffin III continues to be a topic of discussion on the internet. A heated exchange regarding WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese turned into a personal battle on the internet, with the former colleagues making statements about each other.

Clark, however, backtracked. After Griffin made a lengthy post on his Twitter after things became personal, the former Pittsburgh Steelers safety released an apology to his former colleague at ESPN:

"If I had to address @RGIII again I wouldn't include his wife. She didn't need to be made an example of in order to make my point. I could have easily pointed to the positive impact a connection with black women had on the way you see, understand, & treat them.

But the story did not end there. Clark recently made a public apology to his family, citing how they suffered and were exposed by the situation. However, NFL fans were upset about the former defender continuing to raise the issue, instead of just letting it end:

"Just shut up already, this is the grossest form of 3rd party embarrassment. I haven't even met you, and this is getting grossly out of hand", said one fan.

"Quit it! It's nauseating!", criticized a second fan.

"Just apologize to your family in private. Why post an apology here?" was another point made.

What did Ryan Clark say in his public apology?

The ESPN analyst stated that this week made him realize how much his public persona can weigh in his private life.

Until this week, I didn’t realize how much you defend me, & deal with the fallout of my stuff. This week brought it all to a head. Yonka didn’t deserve what happened to her this week. She’s a beautiful woman who’s devoted her life to our family. She's never wanted to be out front, been the backbone of support.

Tensions between the former two players started to emerge in recent times. However, they don't have to deal with any ESPN backlash: Griffin was fired from the network in 2024, while Clark continues to work as an analyst.