Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is among the major names laid off by ESPN on Friday, as the network cut ties with numerous on-air personalities.
The decision comes after the network had opted to cancel his national morning radio show, co-hosted by Max Kellerman and Jay Williams. Kellerman was also laid off on Friday.
According to sports media insider Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Johnson may have an opportunity to jump back onto a prominent daily sports show, should he choose to do so. In reporting the layoffs, Marchand linked Johnson to the opening at FS1’s Undisputed, which lost Skip Bayless’s co-host Shannon Sharpe earlier this month.
Like Sharpe, Johnson is a prominent former NFL pass catcher with a big personality and a long history in sports media. Marchand also notes that Johnson already lives in Los Angeles, where Undisputed films.
According to Marchand, Johnson will collect all of his five-year, $18 million contract with ESPN, while the company can write it off. However, that situation may change if he does land a job at FS1 or elsewhere.
