Friday came on Thursday for Robert Griffin III.
The quarterback-turned-football-analyst was fired as part of a shakeup at ESPN in which he and Sam Ponder were the biggest names let go by the network.
Griffin, previously part of ESPN’s “Monday NFL Countdown” crew, as well as a college football commentator, seemed taken aback by the news, sharing a clip from the classic 1995 movie “Friday.”
ESPN Monday Night Football commentator Robert Griffin III is seen before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. AP“How the hell you gonna get fired on your day off?” John Witherspoon’s Mr. Jones asks his son Craig, portrayed by Ice Cube, who responds, “I don’t know.”
Griffin reportedly had two years left on his deal with ESPN after having been employed in Bristol, Conn. for three.
His and Ponder’s ESPN exits have been characterized as budgetary decisions.
Griffin, later on Thursday, addressed his dismissal from ESPN in a length post on X.
“Thankful for so many people in my time at ESPN that helped me grow because they are some of the best in the business,” he wrote. “From the broadcast booth to the studio and ESPECIALLY the people many of you never see behind the camera.”
He’s no stranger to awkward ends.
The 34-year-old won the Heisman Trophy to cap off a starry collegiate career at Baylor in 2011 and was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2012 draft by Washington.
His impressive rookie season came to a close with a devastating knee injury in the NFC Wild Card Game against the Seahawks, and he was never the same after undergoing surgery on his ACL and LCL, with a concussion eventually ending his tenure in D.C. after the 2015 season.
After his release in 2015, he bounced around with stops in Cleveland and Baltimore before retiring after the 2020 season.
Here is the latest on ESPN’s personnel decisions
- Riley Gaines floats theory about ESPNer’s firing: ‘Not a coincidence’
- Robert Griffin III’s wife responds to his shock ESPN firing
- ‘It’s all gonna come out’ after ESPN fires Sam Ponder: former host
- Robert Griffin III’s shock ESPN firing giving him ‘Friday’ vibes
- ESPN fires two big names in stunning NFL shakeup
Retired NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III poses at the premiere of the Netflix documentary series “Receiver,” Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Invision/APOnce again, RGIII will be on the lookout for another opportunity — with The Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel positing NFL Network’s “GameDay Morning” studio show as a potential landing spot, with the program still seeking a replacement for Michael Irvin.






