Real Reason Behind Molly Qerim’s Exit from ESPN Revealed by Chris Russo!

Molly Qerim and fellow host Stephen A. Smith led First Take to become the most popular sports debate show.

Real Reason Behind Molly Qerim’s Exit from ESPN Revealed by Chris Russo!

Molly Qerim and Chris Russo (Image via Molly Qerim/X/Imago)

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It has been a month since Molly Qerim left ESPN. After helming First Take for 10 years, the 41-year-old quit overnight after rumors first came out about a potential exit in December this year.

Those rumors dropped like a bombshell as no one expected the UConn alum to leave a job she had mastered for so long. On top of that, her chemistry with host Stephen A. Smith was one of the reasons the show topped rating charts for years.

After the first rumors came out, Qerim met with ESPN’s top bosses to discuss the ongoing situation. Then, she revealed that she was leaving the network altogether, even though earlier it was reported that she would take up other roles.

I think they probably wanted to move her around a little bit and try something different… I think Molly probably looked at it as, ‘I’m not gonna do First Take. I don’t want to do SportsCenter,’ so she probably didn’t want to, felt that would be a demotion. I think, probably, she felt embarrassed. She probably thought the world would see her as a lame duck, and she’s still doing the show.

Chris Russo told SI’s Jimmy Traina

Chris Russo believes that Molly Qerim probably thought a potential move to SportsCenter would have been a demotion from First Take. That logic might not be misplaced as the debate show ranks better than ESPN’s longest-running sports news program.

Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith were like ‘brother and sister’

During Molly Qerim’s time with First Take, rumors were aplenty about her relationship with Stephen A. Smith. Many believed they were dating at one point, even though they denied any such thing happening.

Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim and Shannon Sharpe on First Take
Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim and Shannon Sharpe on First Take (Image via Howard University/X)

Chris Russo also helped fan the flames of those rumors after asking them directly while on air. Now, while discussing the Connecticut native’s exit, he shared this about his former colleague.

Her and Stephen had a good relationship. I would say big brother-sister. They knew each other well, and she listened to Stevie. When Stevie gave her advice, she always listened to him. She spoke to him a lot.

Chris Russo revealed

This revelation pours cold water on Qerim and Smith’s alleged romance. Russo’s revelation that they were like brother and sister could indicate that Stephen A. Smith’s $100 million contract might not have been a reason for Qerim’s exit.

ESPN announces Shae Cornette as Molly Qerim’s replacement

After Molly Qerim left First Take and ESPN, the network announced that they were going to audition several candidates to take her place. Big names such as Peter Schrager, Amina Smith, Courtney Cronin, and SportsCenter host Shae Cornette rotated on episodes.

The latter had the most experience, as she would regularly fill in whenever Qerim was on vacation. Now, that experience and her talent have landed her the job as First Take’s host and moderator.

Front Office Sports first confirmed that the 38-year-old will start her journey as First Take’s next moderator on November 3rd. Cornette and her family live in Connecticut.

This means the network may be giving them time to find a place in New York and move in. Cornette will be working out of Disney’s new state-of-the-art 7 Hudson Square NYC headquarters in Lower Manhattan, along with Stephen A. Smith and their rotating cast of guest analysts.

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