There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Shannon Sharpe. The NFL Hall of Famer left Undisputed on Fox after seven years immediately after the NBA Finals. According to reports, a growing rift with co-host Skip Bayless led to Sharpe's depature. While Undisputed appears to be moving on with the likes of Lil Wayne, Richard Sherman, and Rachel Nichols, Sharpe's next step is still something of an unknown.
Of course, there's a lot of push for him to join ESPN. Stephen A. Smith has explicitly said that he wants Sharpe to join the crew of First Take. While Sharpe has had his fun with those rumors, no official move has been announced. ESPN is still coming off massive talent layoffs in June. They would likely like to avoid the backlash they saw with bringing on Pat McAfee in the midst of that "cost-cutting" if they were to add Sharpe. However, the network did also just sign a $2 billion betting partnership so who knows where they now stand on massive talent contracts. Now, Sharpe has further teased his return to the small screen.
Sharpe Promises Fall Return To TV
"Don’t worry I’ll be back on tv soon to cover Football season 🫣🏈. These vacations are needed but, it’s too hot out here! I’m going back inside to the A/C where there’s cameras, microphones, and @leportiercognac 🥃📸🎙️," Sharpe said on X on August 9. Sharpe made no mention of where he would be appearing but it's a promise of his return nonetheless. NFL preseason has already kicked off but the season proper begins on September 7. The Chiefs will host the Lions in the NFL Kickoff Game. Other highlights of Week 1 include a Monday Night Football showdown between the Jets and the Bills.
So where is Sharpe headed? The most likely answer is ESPN, where he will likely become a regular on First Take as well as have a new home for Club Shay Shay. However, there are several other major networks looking for star power. FanDuel is looking to fill the void left by McAfee's own departure to ESPN. Plus, the betting giant also has seemingly endless money. However, with football season fast approaching, we don't have long to wait before we found out where Sharpe's next chapter will be.
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