ESPN television personality Stephen A. Smith is happy to bring Shannon Sharpe aboard the network's flagship show, First Take, but only if it does not drastically change the show's format, per SI.com.

Sharpe is reportedly leaving Fox Sports' Undisputed, which he has co-hosted with Skip Bayless since 2016. Sharpe and Bayless have been very successful together, but their relationship has reportedly been strained in recent months. Following the NBA Finals, Fox Sports (FS1) will buy out the remainder of the NFL Hall of Famer's contract.

Fans of sports television have called for ESPN to bring Shannon Sharpe onto First Take, a show that Bayless also co-hosted from 2007 to 2016. On the subject, Stephen A. Smith said, “I welcome Shannon Sharpe to First Take, but it would be in the mix of being part of the family. I'm not looking for an everyday person.”

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First Take has had a “potpourri of contributors” as Smith called it, since he joined the show in 2012, including Max Kellerman who replaced Bayless after he left ESPN. Since Kellerman left the show in 2021, there hasn't been an “everyday” analyst, and the format has shifted to a rotating cast of media personalities and guest analysts.

Smith is widely regarded as the most successful sports media personality on television and likely enjoys the autonomy of being the primary host of the show.

FS1 runs several sports-talk shows other than Undisputed, but since Sharpe was bought out of his contract, he will likely turn to ESPN if he wishes to continue his career in television.