Bart Scott out at ESPN as Carlin calls it a rough day
Bart Scott is reportedly out at ESPN and ESPN New York after the network's latest round of layoffs tied to its NFL Network acquisition. Co-host Chris Carlin said on air Tuesday that the exit hit hard, calling it a very tough day for Scott and many others across the industry.
Key Takeaways
- Bart Scott was reportedly let go Tuesday in ESPN cuts linked to the NFL Network deal.
- Chris Carlin addressed the news live on Bart & Carlin, calling it a very tough day.
- Front Office Sports said Scott had studio appearances and co-hosted ESPN New York radio.
- The former Ravens All-Pro and Pro Bowler was part of a wider wave that also hit Cam Newton, Ryan Clark, and Charles Davis, per reports.
- ESPN had not named a replacement co-host for the midday show as of Tuesday's coverage.
For listeners expecting the usual midday banter, the story landed fast. According to Barrett Media, Scott is reportedly out at both ESPN and ESPN New York, and Carlin spoke about it on Tuesday morning's show rather than pretending nothing had changed.
Heavy.com separately reported that Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel said sources confirmed Scott was "out in the ESPN cuts," citing studio work plus the New York radio co-host role with Carlin.
If you follow media careers the way some readers track wealth hacks and passive income strategies, this episode is a blunt reminder: even high-profile sports media jobs can vanish in a restructuring cycle.
What happened to Bart Scott at ESPN?
Barrett Media reported that ESPN let Scott go Tuesday as part of a wider layoff round tied to its NFL Network acquisition earlier this year. Heavy.com likewise tied most of the cuts to ESPN's roughly $3 billion NFL Network purchase and quoted an internal memo from ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro about integrating those assets and making "difficult decisions about job impacts."
Scott's path into the chair was long by sports-radio standards. Barrett Media notes he joined ESPN New York in 2017, with early appearances on The Michael Kay Show and Humpty & Canty. He had worked as an NFL analyst for CBS from 2013 to 2017. He became a full-time host in 2020 alongside Alan Hahn, then teamed with Carlin in 2025 on their current midday show.
Heavy.com's reporting places his ESPN hire in 2019 and frames the exit as coming after seven years with the network—language that tracks a 2019-to-2026 national tenure even as Barrett's timeline starts the New York radio chapter earlier, in 2017. Both outlets agree on the core point: Scott is out in this week's cuts.
On the field résumé, Heavy.com notes Scott played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2002 to 2008 and earned NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2006. That player-to-pundit arc is why the layoff resonated beyond New York dials.
What did Chris Carlin say about the departure?
Carlin did not try to paper over the news. Quoting remarks aired on Bart & Carlin and published by Barrett Media, he said the reality was still settling in and that "a lot of things" remained "up in the air," while stressing he could not ignore the situation on air.
"Frankly, it's all just kind of setting in," Carlin said, per Barrett Media. "There's a lot of things that are still up in the air. So, just to not ignore it completely, because that would be somewhat silly on my part for sure. There's not a whole lot more I can say about it at the moment."
He also drew on his own layoff history. "Similar to a lot of colleagues, I have been in this position before," Carlin said. "I am thinking of them. And it's not an easy place to be. If you personally have been there before in your career, you know what it's like."
His most personal line landed as both tribute and industry critique: "I love him. Just for so many people, this is a very tough day. This is an unfortunate reality across a lot of industries these days, especially ours." Barrett Media's headline boiled that mood into "a very rough day," noting Carlin's empathy carries extra weight because he has been laid off before and teamed with Scott more than once.
Why do these ESPN layoffs matter beyond one show?
Scott's exit is not an isolated name drop. Heavy.com reported the same wave included other prominent former NFL voices such as Cam Newton, Ryan Clark, and Charles Davis. Social reaction compiled by Heavy also listed additional high-profile departures circulating Tuesday, including Karl Ravech, Tom Pellissero, Stephania Bell, and David Lloyd.
The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, cited by Heavy, reported that Clark was informed of his layoff during an appearance on NFL Live on Monday and did not finish the program—an image that underscored how abrupt the week felt inside the company.
Timing adds another layer. Heavy.com notes the moves come shortly before a season in which ESPN will exclusively broadcast the Super Bowl for the first time. Cutting known analysts while preparing for that spotlight fuels viral sports-media chatter, even when the driver is integration after a major acquisition.
Barrett Media's takeaway for the New York daypart is practical: ESPN had not named a replacement co-host for Bart & Carlin, and Carlin's "up in the air" comments left open questions about how the midday slot will be staffed—with a new partner, a solo Carlin run, or another format tweak.
How does Bart Scott's on-air record fit the story?
Heavy.com also revisited Scott's more controversial analyst moments, arguing some fans were unsurprised by his exit. In 2021, the outlet notes, Scott said the Ravens should try to injure Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow after a 525-yard passing day, using "red dot" language and describing rib, neck, and "bust his head off the ground" shots. Fan pushback at the time, including criticism that the comments sounded like a bounty, is part of the public record Heavy resurfaced alongside the layoff news.
That history does not change the confirmed employment facts. It does explain why coverage of Bart Scott's departure mixes affection for the Ravens linebacker with debate about how far analyst talk can go. Carlin's on-air tone Tuesday stayed personal, focused on friendship and the human cost of industry cuts.
For career-minded readers, the cleaner lesson is structural. A former Pro Bowler with years of national and local airtime still landed in the same layoff memo as studio peers. When companies merge product lines—here, ESPN absorbing NFL Network assets—headcount decisions can outrun brand loyalty or even an upcoming Super Bowl window.
As of Tuesday's reporting, Scott's next move was not detailed by ESPN in the cited coverage, and Carlin declined to speculate beyond acknowledging uncertainty. What is clear is the headline listeners heard: Bart Scott is out, Chris Carlin called it a rough stretch for the people involved, and ESPN New York's midday future remains unsettled.