Shannon Sharpe Officially Joining Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take”

Shannon Sharpe has accepted a new job with “First Take,” just months after leaving FS1’s “Undisputed.”

The announcement arrived after much speculation surrounding where Sharpe would land after his departure from “Undisputed” alongside Skip Bayless. The two bumped heads quite a bit, so the end of his tenure didn’t come as a complete shock.

“Official this morning, Mr. Shannon Sharpe will be joining the crew. He will debut Monday, September 4th. He will be on here every Monday and Tuesday with yours truly,” Stephen A. Smith confirmed during Thursday’s “First Take” episode. Sharpe also confirmed the news with several memes on Instagram and commented on his new job in a formal statement.

Stephen A. 🤝 Shannon Sharpe@ShannonSharpe joins @FirstTake September 4 🍿 pic.twitter.com/zsLMBIMtHc

— ESPN (@espn) August 24, 2023

“I’m excited to announce this Fall I’ll take my on-air talents to ESPN’s First Take and debate my friend Stephen A. Smith. We’re both graduates of HBCUs, very opinionated and animated. GET YOUR POPCORN READY,” he shared in the statement released by ESPN. Smith also joked with Sharpe about their upcoming morning sports debate, stating, “Welcome to the beatdown, it’s coming.”

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A post shared by Shannon Sharpe (@shannonsharpe84)

His new role alongside Smith is just the latest career move for the football Hall of Famer. Days ago, he informed fans that his popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast, which has welcomed guests such as Dwyane Wade, Steve Harvey, and Omarion, had found a new home on The Volume Sports network. The digital platform, founded by Colin Cowherd, will allow Sharpe and his Shay Shay Media to produce new content in addition to the podcast.