Stephen A. Smith Wants Shannon Sharpe Back on First Take

Stephen A. Smith wants Shannon Sharpe back on first take, and he made that public after Skip Bayless rejoined him on the show Friday. Smith said knows where he stands, even as the company has not moved to bring back Sharpe after last summer’s departure.

Smith on Sharpe's return

“I’m always going to want him back. The company knows I want him back,” Smith said on the Out the Mud podcast. He added, “If we can get him back, I want him back, I ain’t apologizing for that to nobody.”

Smith did not soften the point. “He was great for me. He was great to me, and I’m not gonna forget that,” he said. “He was great for the show.”

Sharpe's exit

Sharpe joined First Take in 2023 after leaving FS1’s Undisputed. let him go last summer after he settled a $50 million lawsuit that accused him of rape, and Sharpe denied the allegations.

That background is what makes Smith’s comments more than a casual endorsement. Sharpe’s run ended in the middle of a legal cloud, and Smith’s push puts the question of a possible return back into public view even though the show has already moved through one personnel change with Bayless back alongside Smith on Friday.

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Smith also drew a line around his role. “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,” he said. “I have bosses to answer to. They have to make that decision.”

Last week, Awful Announcing reported that a Sharpe return to First Take is currently not under consideration. Sharpe remains active elsewhere, hosting Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Chad Ochocinco, while Smith has made clear he wants the old pairing back in place if the company will allow it.