Weeks after he was fired from ESPN, Robert Griffin III is ‘furious’ at his former employer at the hiring of Jason McCourty.
McCourty coming into the fold at ESPN is viewed as a move to appease one of the network’s biggest stars, Stephen A. Smith, amid his lucrative contract negotiations, per The Sun.
The addition of McCourty is viewed as a similar move to ESPN bringing Shannon Sharpe into the fold, which it did last year.
Sharpe is also viewed as a close friend of Smith’s, only giving him more of a license to walk to the beat of his own drum, no matter how much it may anger others.
ESPN has been cutting back its on-air talent in recent years, most recently dismissing co-hosts Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III over what one source described to DailyMail.com as a budgetary decision ahead of the end of the fiscal year.
Robert Griffin III is reportedly furious at his former employer ESPN for its recent hiring
ESPN has hired Jason McCourty, described as a concession to keep Stephen A. Smith happy
The reported hire comes at a time that Smith is negotiating a new lucrative contract with ESPN
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‘He is still getting over this firing at ESPN, and it has been a very frustrating time for him, as he really got caught by surprise,’ per The Sun. ‘But what happened with Jason McCourty being hired by ESPN made him furious, as it comes at a time where the group has been saying that they fired some people, including him, to cut costs.’
‘It doesn’t make any sense. He is working on his next steps, but when the news about McCourty broke, he was in shock, really disappointed and surprised that ESPN made a move to recruit someone new in this context.’
ESPN is rumored to be negotiating a historic contract with Smith and possibly Sharpe as well. Front Office Sports reported in June that the First Take co-host and NBA analyst could earn as much as $20 million annually. Then on Saturday, the Sun reported that Smith is seeking $25 million a year.
ESPN spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment late Monday night.
McCourty is expected to make two appearances a week on First Take, The Athletic reported. The 37-year-old former Miami Dolphins star will continue his full-time role with CBS Sports.
Currently, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman ranks atop the ESPN salary rankings at reported $18million a year. Smith, meanwhile, makes a reported $12million annually.
