In less than 48 hours of it being rumored that Shannon Sharpe was close to finalizing a $100 million deal for the rights to his media empire, the NFL Hall of Famer was slapped with a $50 million lawsuit alleging various instances of physical, mental, and s*xual abuse. In light of the severity of the allegations, the former Denver Bronco has announced that he is taking a temporary absence from his role at ESPN.
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Just a few months prior to the ongoing scandal, Sharpe’s former co-host on Fox Sports’ Undisputed, announced his departure from network television. The talk show host abruptly ended his eight-year stint with FOX, hinting at future projects being well underway.
At one point in time, their partnership on Fox Sports was generating a substantial amount of viewers, proving to be the network’s most successful show. Unfortunately, that all unraveled after their infamous breakup in 2023.
Sharpe would go on to enjoy a healthy and steady stream of success prior to his ongoing scandal, but the breakup proved to be bad for Bayless. Undisputed‘s ratings steadily declined, and after his initial departure from FS1 in August of 2024, the controversial critic has yet to receive an offer from any major network. Could that soon be Sharpe’s reality too?
Nowadays, Bayless spends his time ranting about various topics on either Twitter or his podcast, The Skip Bayless Show, which is hosted personal YouTube channel. For better or worse, it keeps his name in the news cycle.
Today was my last show on Undisputed. I'm leaving FS1. I've been planning to pursue other opportunities for several months. I had a great 8-year run with a lot of great people at FOX, but now I'm excited for what’s coming up. Stay tuned.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 2, 2024
Most recently, the former TV host accused Tom Brady of being the motivator behind the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to pass on Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Considering that both Brady and various members of the Raiders’ organization have publicly stated, on numerous occasions, that the former signal caller has little to no influence on the franchise’s decision-making, Bayless’ comments proved to be as inflammatory as ever.
The former New England Patriot is reportedly “furious” at Bayless’ accusation, according to a source inside the Raiders’ front office.
“Tom thinks that Skip Bayless is an idiot for thinking he had anything to do with Shedeur’s downfall in the NFL Draft… Pete Carroll and Mark Davis have the final say on everything with the team.”
Nevertheless, the controversy has managed to keep Bayless relevant in a time when there seems to be little opportunity in the world of sports media for him. For as much as the trajectories of Bayless and Sharpe’s careers varied after 2023, it’s rather jarring to now see them both reduced to making appearances on their personal podcasts more so than anywhere else.
Since the lawsuit, Sharpe’s bank-breaking deal has reportedly gone bust. And who knows if ESPN will ever take him back? Especially if public opinion remains skewed. Likewise, Bayless finds himself restricted by a general lack of interest.
Bayless’s over-the-top personality, in addition to the fact that he accurately predicted the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl, will likely be enough to see the once-great analyst remain a part of the national discussion. While that doesn’t guarantee a lot, it’s better than nothing.
When it comes to a lack of potential job offers, both men remain undisputed in their own right. Looking back on it, the once flagship show of the FS1 network may go down in history as one of the most controversial in all of sports media history, and likely for all of the wrong reasons.
