Tom Pelissero officially confirmed his NFL Network exit on Wednesday morning, putting a period on the messy layoff saga that’s been swirling around ESPN. News broke earlier that ESPN planned to lay off the respected reporter, even with a year left on his NFL Network deal. It was never clear if he knew before everyone else saw it hit the news cycle.
Pelissero’s Farewell and the Big “See You Soon”
Pelissero dropped the confirmation himself with a post on Twitter. He’s been with NFL Network for nine years, and you know he’s been a go-to for breaking news and insights. In his message, he kept it classy, writing, “Thanks to all of you who watched me the past nine years on NFL Network.” He didn’t stop there, giving props to his colleagues who “made the job fun and pushed me on a daily basis,” and shouted out his family, acknowledging they “constantly made sacrifices to support me in a life-consuming job.” He finished it up with, “I’m so grateful. See you soon.” That “see you soon” is the big question, right? What does “soon” even mean for someone in his position?
ESPN’s Layoff History Is Getting Hard to Ignore
Honestly, the way ESPN has handled these layoffs is getting seriously wild, and it’s not even new. This “clunky, clumsy execution and implementation” is a pattern. In past rounds, ESPN has notoriously “squatted” on former employees’ contracts, meaning they’re still getting paid, but they can’t work anywhere else. Remember Ed Werder? He got let go, then they asked him to help cover the draft, but still wouldn’t let him work anywhere else! Eventually, they let him take a part-time gig with Westwood One. This latest round of cuts has shown some truly “embarrassing lapses” when it comes to keeping things quiet internally. They even made the “ridiculous decision” to inform Ryan Clark he was out. It looks like a total mess from the outside.
So, with Pelissero confirming his exit and signing off with “See you soon,” all eyes are on what that really means for his next move. Will ESPN play hardball with his contract like they have before, or will we see him back on air somewhere else sooner rather than later? We’re definitely keeping an eye on this.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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