Molly Qerim Who Abruptly Resigning From ESPN Raises Questions – “There Is Much More to The Story…”

Molly Qerim was a mainstay on First Take as she helmed ESPN's top sports debate show for the past 10 years.

Molly Qerim Who Abruptly Resigning From ESPN Raises Questions – “There Is Much More to The Story…”

Molly Qerim abruptly leaves ESPN (Image via FirstSportz)

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48 hours ago, sports fans did not expect ESPN to steal headlines after news of Molly Qerim not extending her contract floated on the internet. The network has been facing a talent crisis after quite a few big names departed.

Shannon Sharpe‘s exit after his lawsuit scandal pegged First Take back, as he had helped the show reach new heights, as he mixed his humor along with his analysis to draw in fans from other shows.

Even though Stephen A. Smith had signed a $100 million deal to stay for the next five years, there were concerns as to who would debate against him, as the show’s format necessitates argumentative analysis.

The talent drain had become even more difficult when NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video jumped in to become exclusive NBA broadcasters alongside ESPN. This meant that even though there was talent available after TNT ended its media-rights deal, all of them switched to either of those two networks, with ESPN not being able to rope in anyone.

Now, Molly Qerim‘s exit at the end of the year posed questions for First Take, as she has been a steady moderator to tag alongside Smith, keeping the show at the top of the ratings charts.

A few hours after the news broke, the 41-year-old host dropped a bombshell on her official IG page, announcing that she was stepping away from First Take and ESPN immediately.

Molly Qerim's statement
Molly Qerim’s statement (Image via SS/IG)

When First Take next aired, Stephen A. Smith confirmed the news and was emotional when talking about how it was difficult to start the show without Qerim, who helmed it for 10 years.

Fans wonder what led Molly Qerim to leave ESPN immediately

The initial revelation was that Molly Qerim would leave at the end of 2025. Then, to resign and end her nearly 20-year run with ESPN in such an abrupt manner raised questions.

For starters, fans asked if she was not offered a decent pay raise similar to what Stephen A. Smith or other personalities received. She had initially turned down a contract, possibly hinting at failed negotiations.

Others asked if something else was going on at ESPN. After the talent drain, there were questions about whether First Take had it in them to continue staying on top of the ratings. Check out examples of such social media comments below.

Now that Molly Qerim has officially left ESPN, fans want to see who they bring in to replace her as host and moderator of First Take. It is not an easy job keeping Stephen A. Smith in check, which means it has to be someone who has a good working relationship with him.

Stephen A. Smith’s rant on podcast indicates what might have forced Molly Qerim to leave ESPN

Later in the day, Stephen A. Smith went on his namesake podcast to talk about why Molly Qerim left First Take. He did not reveal what exactly went down, stating it was her story to tell. Then, he went on a rant, which could give a clue as to why his colleague left ESPN.

Molly Qerim on First Take
Molly Qerim on First Take (Image via Molly Qerim/X)

When you have negotiations and you’re talking with people and you’re going back and forth and you’re hearing things you may not want to hear or you’re feeling things you may not want to feel, even though you’re valued, even though people acknowledge those kinds of things, we live in a world where we have to grow up.

Stephen A. Smith said

While saying this, the 57-year-old mentioned that this part was not about his former colleague. Rather, he was talking about the industry in general. However, he did say that Qerim was negotiating her next contract.

On top of that, Smith also mentioned that one has to answer to someone while working in these positions. If one had to summarize these words, it seems Molly Qerim was possibly at odds with ESPN about her stature and pay.

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