Shannon Sharpe Out at ESPN

NFL hall-of-famer and podcaster Shannon Sharpe is out at ESPN, just a few weeks after settling a $50 million lawsuit brought by a woman who had accused him of rape.

Sharpe, who had been a regular contributor to the popular First Take morning show, had temporarily stepped aside from his duties at ESPN earlier this year after the suit was first filed, with plans to return in time for the NFL season.

A source familiar with the matter confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that Sharpe will not return to ESPN. The Athletic first reported the news.

The former tight end had emerged as a media powerhouse in his retirement, first at Fox Sports, and later at ESPN. Sharpe had inked a new deal with ESPN just over a year ago, with Disney CEO Bob Iger personally getting involved in the discussions.

But he also built a large podcast following with Club Shay Shay, which gave him a platform on a scale unlike anything he had seen before.

“I’m bigger now than at any point in my career. I’m 10 times what I was,” Sharpe told THR last year. “I won Super Bowls. I’m in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But I’ve never been as big as I am right now.”

While Sharpe has been absent on ESPN, he has continued to release new episodes of the podcast.

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