ESPN layoffs list leaves Bills star Stefon Diggs with major question – “Anybody know why?”

Stefon Diggs is one of the most vocal NFL stars out there, and ESPN seems to be the most recent target for his preseason musings.

Amid the drama at the network yesterday, the Buffalo Bills receiver tweeted the question on many people's minds.

"ESPN clearing house. Anybody know why?"

While ESPN is one of the biggest and most successful sports media companies, it has fallen on hard times. That was apparent recently as the network let go of employees who had been with the company for a significant time.

The network has released the following staff:

• Jeff Van Gundy
• Max Kellerman
• Keyshawn Johnson
• Suzy Kolber
• Steve Young
• Todd McShay
• Jalen Rose
• Matt Hasselbeck
• LaPhonso Ellis
• Ashley Brewer
• Joon Lee
• Jordan Cornette
• Jason Fitz
• David Pollack
• Nick Friedell

The above names are some of the best in their professions, and social media is in a frenzy about how the company released them unceremoniously. On the flip side, Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, J.J. Reddick, and Joe Buck have retained their roles, while Pat McAfee has joined on a huge $85 million deal.

Why is ESPN clearing house?

Various media sources have reported that the job eliminations are part of an effort by the network to meet fiscal goals for this year and beyond. This round aimed at on-air employees with large salaries, with ESPN hoping that such an approach would let it retain more staffers across the platform.

The network’s majority owner, Disney, recently laid off about 7,000 employees. Disney's layoffs were meant to generate more than $5bn in savings as streaming gains slowed, and are considered separate from the network's job cuts.

It is crystal clear that the goal of Disney and, by extension, the network is to maintain a profit margin that matches Wall Street expectations. Rights fees (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) are increasing, and Disney likely views these rights as more of a spending priority than talent.

It's a sad day for the staff members that built their careers strictly around the company, as they'll likely focus on getting jobs with the network's competitors.