• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Stephen A. Smith Confirms: ‘I Want Shannon Sharpe’

  • Smith says Sharpe could become a high-profile ‘First Take” contributor.
  • Sharpe would join a rotating list of guests, including Ryan Clark and Chris Russo.
Stephen A. Smith
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen A. Smith has confirmed Front Office Sports’ story that ESPN wants to bring Shannon Sharpe aboard as a high-profile contributor.

On Friday afternoon, a fit and rested Smith returned from a Caribbean vacation to address the Front Office Sports story.

Smith confirmed that the ESPN executive “honchos” are negotiating with Sharpe, who recently split with rival Skip Bayless on FS1’s “Undisputed.”

“I want Shannon Sharpe on First Take. And I aim to get him. We are definitely talking to Shannon Sharpe. The conversations are official. The reports have not been misnomers. Or misreports or anything like that,” he told his listeners. 

“We are talking to him. I am hopeful, very hopeful, and very confident that ultimately we will be announcing sooner than later that he will be on ‘First Take.’”

Shannon Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe Could Score ‘Contributor’ Role With ESPN

Media free agent Shannon Sharpe has talked to ESPN about a role.
July 19, 2023

But the deal still needs to be finalized.  Smith also confirmed that Sharpe would be part of a rotating team of guest debaters rather than a full-time co-host like the now-departed Max Kellerman.

That team would include moderator Molly Qerim, ESPN’s Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky, Mina Kimes, and Kimberley Martin, as well as Chris “Mad Dog Russo” of Sirius XM and Michael Irvin of NFL Network. 

Smith pointed to the now infamous on-air moment in January when Bayless interrupted Sharpe’s statement on Damar Hamlin as the “beginning of the end.”

“I knew that day that Shannon Sharpe would be gone,” Smith said.

Despite his legal problems, Smith said he also wants Irvin back on his show.

Smith is also expected to address Sharpe and Irvin when he returns to “First Take” on Monday morning.

During a golf event in Florida, Sharpe told USA TODAY it would “great” to join Smith on “First Take.” But the deal’s not done. He indicated his next venture would include “Club Shay Shay,” his YouTube Show and podcast.

Meanwhile, Bayless and FS1 are struggling to find a replacement, or team of replacements, for Sharpe.

Bayless ‘Undisputed’ will be on hiatus for six weeks, returning Aug. 28.

When he returns, Bayless’s “Undisputed” could employ the same debate by committee approach as “First Take,” according to former FS1 personality Marcellus Wiley.

Bayless micromanages all aspects of “Undisputed” and will have last word on a new partner or partners, said sources.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

opinion

NFL RedZone Changes Have Nothing to Do With ESPN Deal

Four 15-second spots will air over RedZone’s seven hours in Week 1.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
September 3, 2025

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
September 2, 2025

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”
September 1, 2025

Lee Corso’s Farewell Delivers Record ‘College GameDay’ Viewership

ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers, per preliminary figures.
August 28, 2025

NFL Preseason Sees 17% Jump in TV Ratings, Best Since 2018

Average audiences for the exhibition games increase sharply from last year.
Tom Brady
August 27, 2025

NFL Continues to Loosen Tom Brady Restrictions

Brady will be able to attend production meetings–remotely–this season.