Cam Newton exits ESPN in surprise layoff shakeup

ESPN laid off Cam Newton in a broader round of cuts tied to integrating NFL Network assets, less than a year after he signed a multi-year extension to join Stephen A. Smith on First Take as the show’s Monday football co-host. The layoffs, which also affected others like Ryan Clark and Tom Pelissero, come as ESPN says it is restructuring to position the company for the future following the NFL Network deal.