Shannon Sharpe is speaking out after his exit from ESPN.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The Pro Football Hall of Famer spoke about the news on his podcast with Chad Johnson, Nightcap, addressing his departure from the network for the very first time. This comes less than two weeks after Sharpe settled a lawsuit in which his ex-girlfriend accused him of rape.
While Shannon seemed content with what happened, there was one big issue he expressed with how the news was released. On February 6, 2025, his brother, Sterling Sharpe, was announced as an inductee for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
As this year’s inductees are preparing to celebrate their achievements this weekend, Shannon admits that he simply didn’t want his bad news to overshadow his brother’s achievements.
“Everybody’s heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast on Wednesday, July 30. “I found out this information a little earlier in the week. The only thing I really asked is if we can wait until Monday. My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I really wanted it to be about him, and I wanted it to be about family.”
Shannon went on to say that the premature leak of his departure overshadowed what was supposed to be a positive family milestone.
“I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday,” he continued. “I wanted it to be about everything he worked his entire life for.”
“I enjoyed my time at ESPN,” Sharpe said. “It gave me an opportunity to bring my audience that saw me really just grow. They saw me say ‘Lakers in five’ and all these analogies my grandparents gave me, and I was able to bring that to ESPN, and I’m grateful for that.”
The retired NFL star has not been on ESPN since late April, when the lawsuit against him was filed. At the time, Shannon said he would return to ESPN at the beginning of NFL training camp.
The woman behind the suit, known as “Jane Doe,” was seeking $50 million for “pain and suffering, psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation,” accusing Shannon of rape and abuse. Sharpe publicly denied the allegations immediately after his accuser filed the suit in April, calling the case a “shakedown” attempt. He has maintained that he and the Nevada woman were in a consensual sexual relationship.
