Former Vikings receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter is no longer employed by Fox Sports, though the reason is both unclear and described by at least one report as "serious."

The Big Lead reports that Carter "cleaned out his desk at Fox Sports under supervision of security," adding detail to sports media reporter John Ourand's reporting from earlier Thursday that included a statement from Fox confirming Carter's departure.

Carter worked on the FS1 show "First Things First."

The New York Post's Andrew Marchand wrote: "While there have been reports that Carter was miffed about not being a part of Fox's 'Thursday Night Football' studio show, that is not the reason he was let go. He may have been upset about not having a role on TNF, but sources said the matter at hand is more serious. The exact nature of the disagreement is unknown at this time."

MICHAEL RAND