Robert Griffin III: 'Just really thankful' for time at ESPN after firing
Less than two weeks after he was fired from ESPN, Robert Griffin III says he is "just really thankful" for the opportunity he had at the company.
"I'm just thankful for everything that I was able to experience at ESPN," Griffin told USA TODAY Sports.
A former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, Griffin was fired on Aug. 15, a move that was first reported by The Athletic. The report stated Griffin had two years remaining on his contract and his seven-figure annual salary would be honored.
At ESPN, Griffin was part of the network's "Monday Night Countdown" show that aired ahead of "Monday Night Football," and he also served as an analyst for college football games. However, prior to his sudden release, he was replaced on the "Monday Night Countdown" crew by the recently hired former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
"I really enjoyed my time there, and I'm gonna miss the people that work behind the camera because they don't get a lot of love and respect, because the front facing people, are the ones that get all the praise. But just really thankful for my experience there," Griffin said.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
What's next for RGIII?
Now a free agent, Griffin didn't say he is joining another media company and is now promoting his podcast "Outta Pocket with RGIII." He said he will be "traveling around, dedicating full time to telling stories the right way."
"Who knows what the future is going to hold? Whether it's college, NFL, broadcast booth, studio. Just going to really go where God has me to be," he said.
Griffin and "Sunday NFL Countdown" host Samantha Ponder were two of the recent ESPN firings. Both Griffin and Ponder were casualties of yearly budgetary evaluations at Disney, ESPN's parent company, per the report. ESPN announced last week Mike Greenberg would take over as the new host of "Sunday NFL Countdown," joining the crew of Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan, Alex Smith and NFL insider Adam Schefter.
