Shannon Sharpe is amongst the rare breed of NFL stars who proved to be an unstoppable force—both on the football field and in the media world. From dissecting NBA matchups on ESPN’s First Take to delivering NFL hot takes on Nightcap, from breaking pop culture with his wildly popular Club Shay Shay podcast to even weighing in on UFC fights and badminton, the legendary Broncos TE today is everywhere.
Advertisement
While this has led to millions of fans tuning in, they are not the only ones to have been charmed by Sharpe’s broadcasting skills—former Patriots superstars Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are just as impressed.
The former NFL stars in the recent episode of Dudes on Dudes reflected on Shannon Sharpe’s incredible post-NFL career, highlighting how he’s effortlessly managed to transition from the gridiron to the world of sports media.
“He’s not just an analyst in the football world either,” Gronk marveled. “He’s an analyst in all of sports. He has broadened his fan base big time by breaking down basketball… what, badminton if he had to? This guy can do it all in the broadcasting world.”
As an NFL great, getting opportunities as an analyst is as easy as it can get. Case in point, Tom Brady, who secured a 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal with Fox Sports with no prior experience with the microphone. Where Shannon Sharpe stands out, however, is his confidence and command over every gig he has taken up so far.
Like his days on the field, Shannon’s broadcasting is fearless and sharp—as we all saw during his altercations with Skip Bayless. For Julian Edelman, it’s the Nightcap host’s ability to speak his mind and be interesting in every single conversation that impresses him the most.
“When he went up with Skip, him and Skip, like, he could battle him. He could talk. I mean, he’s famous for a reason, not just for his podcast Club Shay Shay and everything he’s got going. This guy, you could tell he’s a fuc*ing smart guy. He looks like he could still play.”
That last part caught Gronk’s attention, too. On one hand, we see athletes shed their six-pack abs post retirement; the likes of Shannon Sharpe and Tom Brady have maintained their physique just like their playing days.
The former, in particular, has been the most impressive in this regard as even at the age of 56, Sharpe is seen benching hundreds of pounds for fun. For Gronk, Sharpe has maintained himself so well that the legendary TE can still step on the field today.
“He sure does. He looks like a linebacker now, as well. He looks like he’s jacked—he could go out there and just level fools and get right back up,” Gronk added. “And I think he posted an Instagram within the year of him benching still, and I think it was like 385. It was around there—don’t quote me on the exact weight, but it was right around there. And he put it up like five times as well. He’s huge. Jacked.
View this post on Instagram
From Hall of Fame tight end to one of the most dominant media personalities in sports, Shannon Sharpe has proven there’s no lane he can’t own.
Whether it’s his ability to not get overshadowed by Stephen A. Smith, dropping internet-breaking interviews with the biggest stars in entertainment, or simply outmuscling everyone in the gym, Sharpe’s post-NFL run is nothing short of legendary.
