ESPN Mulling Shannon Sharpe's 'First Take' Future After Rape Suit, Stephen A. Smith Says

Stephen A. Smith says his bosses at ESPN are currently mulling Shannon Sharpe's "First Take" future ... in the wake of the explosive rape lawsuit that was levied against the ex-NFL star earlier this month.

On his "The Stephen A Smith Show" Tuesday, Smith stated he recently had a talk with ESPN honcho Jimmy Pitaro, who told told him, "We are taking this matter very seriously."

Smith said Pitaro added, "We are looking into this very, very closely. And once we gather as many facts as we possibly can, we will go from there."

Smith admitted he had no idea "what that means" for Sharpe -- but it certainly seems pulling the Pro Football Hall of Famer off ESPN's airwaves while the civil case plays out in court is on the table.

Smith told his followers he was hopeful that wouldn't happen -- he said on the show, "I'm wishing that he's innocent and all this stuff goes away and he can continue to thrive with me on ESPN" -- but, again, he seemed to think there was a possibility it could go down.

Sharpe joined Smith on "First Take" back in 2023 after the latter recruited him to the network. In February 2024, he signed an extension to remain alongside Smith on the program. He appeared on both Monday and Tuesday's episodes of the show -- despite Jane Doe filing her suit on Sunday.

Sharpe and his legal team have been adamant he committed no wrongdoing ... and have stated they believe Doe's suit is nothing more than "a shakedown."

Doe is suing for $50 million in damages.