While Stephen A. Smith remains optimistic that Shannon Sharpe will return to ESPN in time for the NFL season, Dan Le Batard isn’t buying it.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the former ESPN host suggested it’s fair to assume Sharpe won’t be returning to the network, now or ever. While it’s still technically possible, Le Batard implied we’ve already seen the writing on the wall.
Shannon Sharpe recently postponed his Nightcap live tour but continues to host the podcast alongside Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, even as serious allegations have forced him to step away from ESPN. Before everything unraveled, ESPN was even exploring ways to build a show around Sharpe as a possible successor to Around the Horn. That plan never materialized.
Just days before the 2025 NFL Draft, a civil lawsuit accusing Sharpe of sexual assault and battery went public. His legal team called the claims an “egregious attempt at blackmail” and released explicit text messages that didn’t exactly help his image.
Sharpe briefly returned to First Take after the lawsuit became public, only for audio to later emerge of him allegedly threatening to “choke the sh*t” out of his accuser. While Sharpe called the entire situation a “shakedown,” his own legal team revealed they had previously offered at least $10 million to settle the case.
Initially, Smith was conflicted about the situation. Then, more audio surfaced. And ESPN… still did nothing.
Then, finally, Sharpe announced he’d be taking a leave of absence, posting a Notes app-style screenshot announcing he was “stepping away” from ESPN. Naturally, the internet had a field day. Smith later placed blame on Sharpe’s legal strategy for forcing the hiatus. But by then, the damage was done.
And Le Batard seems convinced that it’s irreversible.
“We probably all know at this point that Shannon Sharpe is not likely to ever work at ESPN again, right? I think we can reasonably assume Shannon Sharpe would like it to look like he has a chance to return,” said Le Batard. “I don’t know if you can be Disney and allow any of what happened there.”
What “happened there” isn’t just a lawsuit. It’s not just one disturbing audio clip(s) or a multimillion-dollar settlement offer. It’s the cumulative weight of serious allegations, tone-deaf legal maneuvering, and a media circus that ESPN allowed to spiral unchecked.
Disney has built its reputation on brand safety and maintaining a family-friendly image. Whatever Sharpe’s legal fate, the public spectacle around his situation is something ESPN — by its own risk-averse standards — typically runs from.
Stephen A. Smith may want Shannon Sharpe back on First Take, but ESPN has shown no urgency to make that happen. And has every reason to keep its distance.
Sharpe still has a platform. He still has a fan base. But Le Batard is right in the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a realistic path back to ESPN right now. Not with a lawsuit hanging over him, not with damning audio still circulating, and not with Disney looming over it all.
And if there’s a comeback, it probably won’t be before Week 1. And it may not come at all.