Shannon Sharpe, ESPN Agree to New Contract; Will Continue to Appear on 'First Take' | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Jackson Reed
Published Mar 25, 2026
After getting his feet wet debating Stephen A. Smith during the NFL season, Shannon Sharpe is staying with ESPN for at least a few more months.
The network announced Sharpe has signed a new deal that will keep him as a regular contributor on First Take through the end of the NBA regular season.
ESPN PR @ESPNPRNews: <a href="">@ShannonSharpe</a> to continue as a regular <a href="">@FirstTake</a> guest joining <a href="">@stephenasmith</a> & <a href="">@MollyQerim</a> thru the remainder of the NBA reg. season with a new contract extension<br><br>Friday, Stephen A. & Shannon go head-to-head as coaches in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (7p ET, ESPN) <a href="">
The first act for Sharpe after signing a new deal with ESPN was coaching against Smith in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game as part of All-Star Weekend on Friday night. Team Shannon defeated Team Stephen A. thanks to Micah Parsons' MVP performance.
The Dallas Cowboys star had 37 points and 16 rebounds in a 100-91 victory for Team Shannon.
ESPN @espnThis sequence from Team Shannon 🔥<br><br>📺: ESPN <a href="">
Sharpe originally joined the show in September where he was a weekly guest on Mondays and Tuesdays during the NFL season. He had been an analyst on FS1's Undisputed, alongside Skip Bayless, since it debuted in 2016.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer cited "disrespect" from Bayless that dates back to an on-air debate they had about Tom Brady in December 2022 as the reason he left FS1.
Things seem to be going better for Sharpe at ESPN. He's been a featured analyst on First Take with Smith and Molly Qerim, while also continuing to host the Club Shay Shay podcast.
The NBA regular season will wrap up on April 14. The play-in tournament will be held from April 16-19, followed by the start of the playoffs on April 20.
