Shannon Sharpe could be headed to ESPN amid mass talent firings

ESPN’s shocking layoffs on Friday may clear a path for Shannon Sharpe to join the network. There’s certainly a ton of speculation that the Pro Football Hall of Famer will land there.

Front Office Sports amplified the Shannon Sharpe to ESPN buzz, Saturday, a day after the network laid off 20 mostly well-known anchors, hosts and analysts. Blame the cost-cutters at Disney, ESPN’s parent company. Friday’s cuts represented the third round of Disney layoffs this year.

Meanwhile, Sharpe is figuring out his next move. Maybe that’s ESPN. Or maybe it’s FanDuel, which has talked to Sharpe about a job at their place. But FOS says this is why Sharpe to ESPN is the more obvious choice.

“He loves the spotlight. The three-time Super Bowl winner could play an outsized role as Young’s successor on “Monday Night Countdown.” 

Back in May, Sharpe announced he was leaving Undisputed, the show he shared with co-host Skip Bayless. The football star and former newspaper columnist had butted heads since the show went on air in 2016. The show required hot takes with a side order of mockery. Sharpe settled his contract buyout with Fox by the end of May. And he did his last show in June. Apparently, Sharpe decided he needed a divorce from the show after he vehemently disagreed with Bayless’ tweet about Damar Hamlin that he shared the night the Bills safety collapsed and nearly died.

Could Shannon Sharpe ever replace Smith on ESPN’s First Take?

FOS believes that Shannon Sharpe would be perfect for ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. The network laid off hosts Suzy Kolber and Steve Young, the former star quarterback. The network could swap the opinions of one Pro Football Hall of Famer with another. Plus, Sharpe could join the rotation of sports debaters on First Take with Stephen A. Smith. Front Office Sports speculated that Sharpe could then take over the show if Smith decided to leave the network for other projects like acting or politics.

ESPN also laid off former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson. And there’s now speculation that Johnson could take Sharpe’s spot opposite Bayless. Others in consideration for the role include LeSean McCoy, Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor.

The ESPN layoffs could lead to a scramble at other media companies. Other big names from ESPN are looking for full-time employment. Some of the laid-off personalities included Jeff Van Gundy, Todd McShay, David Pollack and Max Kellerman.