Shannon Sharpe is still finishing out his on-air tenure with Fox (FOX), but there are already rumblings about his replacement.
Four members of the Fox Sports 1 broadcasting tree are candidates to become Sharpe’s replacement to sit across Skip Bayless on ‘Undisputed,’ according to Front Office Sports.
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LeSean McCoy, Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, and Nick Wright are all in-house candidates that are reportedly being considered to succeed Sharpe.
McCoy, a six-time pro bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, hosts FS1’s “SPEAK” alongside Acho and Taylor. He’s expected to have an “extended audition” with Bayless once Sharpe’s buyout with Fox pushes through.
Bayless is expected to have a “final say” on the decision, despite reports that there are no analysts who seem keen on working with the enigmatic sports debater. But the expectation is that the new hire will be a person of color, a woman, or both.
Front Office Sports also reports that Fox may target outside candidates from Disney's (DIS) rival network ESPN including Stephen A. Smith’s former “First Take” co-host Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin.
Smith voiced on his podcast “The Stephen A. Show” last Friday that he would welcome Sharpe onto ESPN and “First Take” should he desire to join the program. However, Smith also reiterated his respect for Bayless saying he would “never disrespect” him.
Bayless and Smith were once co-hosts on ESPN’s “First Take,” with the former helping bring the latter back onto the program after he had originally left the network.
