Stephen A. Smith says he wants Shannon Sharpe back on First Take and is not backing away from that view, even after let the 57-year-old go last summer. Smith made the comments on the Out the Mud podcast and said the company already knows where he stands.
“I’m always going to want him back. The company knows I want him back,” Smith said, according to Awful Announcing. He added, “Now, y’all going to do what y’all got to do because I’m the executive producer, but I’m not an executive VP of the company. I have bosses to answer to.”
Sharpe joined First Take in 2023 after leaving FS1’s Undisputed, where friction with Skip Bayless helped push the split. Bayless, who once starred on First Take with Smith before moving to FS1, has since left Fox Sports and reunited with Smith on Friday, a turn that has revived attention on the show’s rotating cast and its long-running chemistry.
Smith said the decision on Sharpe is not his alone. “They have to make that decision,” he said, before adding, “But they already know I want him back. If we can get him back, I want him back, I ain’t apologizing for that to nobody.” He also said, “He was great for me. He was great to me, and I’m not gonna forget that. He was great for the show.”
That pitch lands against a difficult backdrop. let Sharpe go last summer after he settled a $50 million lawsuit in which he was accused of rape; Sharpe previously denied the allegations. Last week, Awful Announcing reported that a Sharpe return to First Take is not currently under consideration, even as he continues to host Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Chad Ochocinco.
For now, Smith’s comments amount to a public endorsement, not a plan. The show has already brought Bayless back into the fold, and the link to Skip Bayless returns to First Take as Bomani Jones defends its legacy only sharpens the sense that First Take is still willing to revisit old pairings when the chemistry is there. Sharpe may not be in the lineup today, but Smith made clear he would welcome him if the company changes course.
