John Clayton was one of the more widely-known names to be caught up in ESPN’s massive round of layoffs back in the spring of 2017. Clayton had been with ESPN for 23 years, and had done solid NFL reporting and analysis for just about every area of the company.
He’d even starred in one of the better This is SportsCenter commercials, too:
Clayton maintained a radio show and last year did sideline work for the Seattle Seahawks, but now he has a new gig: weekly columnist for The Washington Post. Clayton himself announced the new job today on Twitter, along with his first piece:
I am humbled to announce that starting today I begin a weekly column for The Washington Post. The column moves to Monday every week starting next week. Today’s topic is QBs. Watch how quarterback play affects the NFC playoff race. Here is the link https://t.co/bJsVqKv1Di
— Family of John Clayton (@JohnClaytonNFL) September 5, 2018
If today’s column can be seen as a preview of things to come, Clayton’s weekly piece will focus on a wide-view analysis (this week’s: the likelihood that the NFC will see strong quarterback play) while closing with a notes-style segment where Clayton hits a few different topics around the league. Clayton is incredibly well-connected, and working for a large outlet like the Post allows him to take a league-wide focus.
For NFL fans, it could be a nice addition to the Monday morning reading routine.
News of Clayton’s column was well-received on Twitter, including from some former colleagues:
Great news! Congrats John!
— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) September 5, 2018
Congratulations, John!
— Laura Okmin (@LauraOkmin) September 5, 2018
Great news, John! Look forward to reading you.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) September 5, 2018
It is nice to see reporters like Clayton end up in a spot that will utilize their abilities, connections, and experience. Fans and readers are never hurt by more options.
