ESPN fired Robert Griffin III just days after the former NFL star divided opinion by throwing his support behind Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif.
According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand , both Griffin and commentator Sam Ponder were sacked by ESPN in budget cuts that have plagued the network in recent times. Despite still having two years left on his deal with ESPN, Griffin was let go ahead of the end of the company’s fiscal year.
The former Washington Redskins quarterback was no longer considered to be worth the seven-figure salary he was making. However, Griffin has developed an influential presence on social media, amassing over 2.2 million followers on X.
The 34-year-old often speaks out on NFL and sports topics - and recently weighed in on the global debate surrounding Algerian boxer Khelif. During the Paris Olympics, Khelif sparked outrage as she took part even after failing a gender eligibility test in 2023, despite being a biological female.
As a result, Khelif - along with Lin Yu-Ting - was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships, which is sanctioned by the International Boxing Association, but the IOC cleared the duo to compete. Griffin took to social media to give his opinion, sharing a video as he defended Khelif.
“This is one of the most cruel and unfair situations I’ve ever seen happen at the Olympics,” Griffin said. “Twenty-five-year-old Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is a biological woman and competing in the welterweight division at the Olympics in Paris.
“Imane Khelif is not a transgender woman or a biological man. Imane Khelif is a woman. She was born that way and has identified that way her entire life… Not only is she a woman, but she was born in a country in Algeria that it is de facto illegal to change your gender. And in a country like Algeria, they would never allow a transgender woman to represent them at the Olympics. Khelif has been competing in boxing in women’s categories since she was a child - because she’s a woman. And even competed in the Tokyo Olympics.”
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Griffin pointed to the corruption within the IBA as a potential reason for the gender test failure, before adding: “This young girl is not a man competing against women. She’s a woman who’s being unfairly judged… make sure you get your facts straight before you decide to speak on or bully someone else. Khelif should not be a part of your political narratives. She should not be used to push your own agendas. And if you’re trying to protect women or protect your daughters, you should be protecting Khelif.”
Griffin has become a respected sports voice online. Speaking to X on Thursday, Griffin appeared to foreshadow his looming ESPN exit.
He said: “There are people in your circle saying they want you to win, but doing everything they can to make you lose. Don’t be afraid to cut people off when they keep handing you the scissors.”
Back in 2021, ESPN hired Griffin as a College Football and NFL Analyst, beating out Fox Sports who had also expressed interest in his services. The former Heisman Trophy winner eventually secured a key role on "Monday Night Countdown," but was replaced by ex- Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce this offseason.
Griffin also shared the booth with play-by-play announcer Bob Wischusen on one of ESPN's premier college football broadcast teams. But now he is looking for work with the 2024 NFL and college football seasons each set to kick off.
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