49ers Suspend Broadcaster for Commenting on Lamar Jackson’s ‘Dark Skin’

San Francisco 49ers radio broadcaster Tim Ryan has been suspended by the team for his comments on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during a radio show on Monday. Ryan talked about how Jackson is good at faking handoffs because of his “dark skin with a dark football.” Ryan said this on KNBR’s Murph and Mac morning radio show as he was asked about Jackson’s performance in the Ravens’ 20-17 victory over the 49ers.

“He’s really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing,” Ryan said on air per the San Francisco Chronicle. “I mean, you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point, and if you’re a half step slow on him in terms of your vision, forget about it, he’s out of the gate.”

Once the 49ers heard what Ryan said about Jackson, they told the San Francisco Chronicle they were “disappointed” in his comments and that he would be suspended for the team’s upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints.

“We hold Tim to a high standard as a representative of our organization and he must be more thoughtful with his words. Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately,” the 49ers said. “We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience.”

Ryan also released a statement saying, “I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game. Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended.”

The 49ers also reached out to the Ravens to explain what happened as well as apologize for the incident.

Ryan has been with the 49ers broadcast team since 2014. Before that, he spent 12 seasons covering the NFL as a TV analyst for Fox. Ryan played in the NFL from 1990-1993 as a member of the Chicago Bears. He played in 58 games and registered 4.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

As for Jackson, he will continue his MVP campaign as well as his goal of getting the Ravens to the Super Bowl. Jackson has thrown 25 touchdown passes and he’s only 23 yards away from rushing for 1,000 yards.