When ESPN’s layoffs happened at the end of June, Keyshawn Johnson was in the luxurious island of Turks and Caicos. When ESPN cut him, he was neither shocked nor too taken aback.
After nearly two decades with the network and having recently signed a five-year, $18 million contract, Johnson is not the type to just sit around and collect his money.
He knew what he would do next.
So, to paraphrase Johnson’s most classic line, he told ESPN executives: Just give me my damn rights!
They eventually did — and Johnson, 51, quickly started his second act of his sports media career.
While other ESPN layoffs have popped up here and there, many are riding out their contract staying quiet so as not to jeopardize the money they are owed.
Johnson is talking, and for the first time, about what happened at ESPN.
He had reached the pinnacle at the network from top NFL studio shows to the lead name on ESPN Radio mornings.
“I understand it wasn’t based on my talent,” Johnson told The Post. “It was probably financially for what they wanted to do as a company. I never really looked at it as if I’m no good [or] I suck.”
Johnson has been the rare case in which he has quickly replicated his platforms and his compensation with his next move. This allowed him to free himself from his ESPN contract. When ESPN lays off contracted on-air personalities, it still has to pay them, but it can prevent a person from taking another job.
During its five layoffs over the last decade, there have been different outcomes for ex-employees. ESPN has handled people case-by-case, being difficult with some and easier with others. The common issue is failing to replicate a salary, giving Disney/ESPN to grant permission or not on any next move.
Since the fall, Johnson has been on television every weekday, verbally sparring with Skip Bayless on FS1’s “Undisputed.”
Bayless is polarizing because he has some outlandish opinions. However, like many who have worked closely with him, Johnson really likes Bayless because of his passion and his incredible energy that has not dissipated, despite being a septuagenarian.
“[People] think that Skip just says anything he throws against the wall,” Johnson said. “No, he really truly believes in the stuff that he says because he’s not making things up as he goes. You have to appreciate that. He really thinks the Dallas Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl. I think he is delusional, but that’s just me.”
“Undisputed” is losing in the ratings against Stephen A. Smith’s “First Take” — which took Bayless’ former partner, Shannon Sharpe, as a two-day-a-week debater.
Bayless and Johnson are hurt by the so-far poor ratings of its lead in, “The Carton Show,” which features former WFAN host Craig Carton.
Format-wise, “Undisputed” should probably add a moderator, to distribute the takes like Molly Qerim does for “First Take” instead of having Bayless, a shooting guard, as the point, flanked by Johnson, as well as contributors Richard Sherman, Michael Irvin and Rachel Nichols.
At ESPN, Johnson did pretty much everything, except host a podcast. With FS1 he has begun one, which has a yet-to-be-determined full-time name. It will feature Johnson, family members and all types of contributors and interviews.
Johnson is now only 20 minutes — give or take with L.A. traffic — from the Fox studios. At ESPN, Johnson relocated his family to Brooklyn for the morning radio show in the summer of 2020.
“In 2021, I could sense my kids were not happy in the concrete jungle,” Johnson said.
Johnson worked it out with ESPN executives, allowing him to spend two weeks in New York/Bristol per month and two weeks in Los Angeles during football season, while it was three weeks in LA to one in the offseason.
Between his morning radio show, “First Take” hits and “NFL Live,” it is unknown when Johnson actually slept.
During this time, Johnson also dealt with tragedy as his first born child, Maia, died at 25 in the spring of 2022. Johnson said the cause was fentanyl laced marijuana.
“She’s constantly on my mind,” said Johnson, who commemorates Maia with a tattoo on his arm.
Besides not having to constantly fly across the country, there may be growth opportunities at Fox Sports.
Johnson appeared twice on “Big Noon Kickoff” during the college football season. He seems interested in returning to an NFL studio, which could eventually be an option at Fox or elsewhere.
“I miss working with Laura Rutledge,” said Johnson, referencing the host of “NFL Live.” “I miss working with Dan Orlovsky. I miss with [Marcus Spears.] I miss working with those guys. I miss working with Jay Williams and all of my radio producers. You know, I miss that because I had a relationship with so many people for 17 years there. But you turn the page and move on.”
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