NFL analyst Rob Ninkovich's goodbye to Get Up has gone horribly wrong with producers cutting him off to start First Take.
The ex-New England Patriots linebacker bid farewell to the network on Friday morning after his contract wasn't renewed.
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Ninkovich, 39, appeared on Get Up that day and received the opportunity to sign off from the show with a parting message.
A minute before First Take was scheduled to begin, host Mike Greenberg thanked the two-time Super Bowl champ for "all the laughs."
And the Illinois native responded: "Thank you so much, had a great time. The last two years built great relationships."
Ninkovich then proceeded to praise Greenberg, calling him "the best in the business" and an "epitome of pure talent."
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After he told the ESPN host to "have a great one," the former NFL fifth-round pick seemingly wanted to continue his goodbye.
But he didn't get the chance to do so as his mic was silenced before Stephen A. Smith appeared on the screen alongside fellow First Take panelists.
Smith, wearing a pair of shades and a pink shirt, then opened his show with a joke, saying he typically wears a more formal attire at work "because he's a businessman."
And ESPN viewers couldn't help but notice the awkwardness of the situation.
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"OMG! Beyond parody," one wrote.
"This is the most ESPN thing I’ve seen in my life. Cut off something genuine in favor of something so gimmicky and cornball," another tweeted.
"That’s absolutely ridiculous. Let the guy sign off," a third added.
And one said: "Not the worst hard out I’ve seen… but sad to see him cut off."
Ninkovich appeared on NFL Live later in the day and at the end of the show, he waved and saluted in a farewell to ESPN viewers and his colleagues and
The ex-Patriots star joined the network in 2019, two years after retiring from the NFL.
He's one of the many ESPN employees who have been axed this year.
