Ex-Steelers among Candidates to Replace Shannon Sharpe on Undisputed

Shannon Sharpe is leaving his show Undisputed after taking a buyout from Fox, leaving the next co-host with legendary talker Skip Bayless up in the air, and a number of people with Steelers and Pittsburgh connections are among the potential replacements.

Former Pitt running back LeSean McCoy has emerged as a leading contender to take Sharpe’s seat on the popular Fox Sports talk show, according to Front Office Sports. McCoy already works for Fox on the FS1 show Speak.

Another individual with Pittsburgh ties that is already contracted to Fox is Woodland Hills alum Joy Taylor, who previously served as moderator on Undisputed and currently hosts alongside McCoy on Speak.

According to odds posted by SportsBetting.ag on Monday, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and current ESPN analyst and the host of The Pivot Podcast Ryan Clark is also a potential candidate.

The betting site gave Clark 7-1 odds to replace Sharpe, tied for third-best along with Nick Wright. Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins (5-1) and radio host Chris Russo (6-1) were listed as the favorites. McCoy was not on the odds board.

Clark has been working for ESPN since just after his retirement from the Steelers in 2015, and appears on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Get Up!, and First Take, among other ESPN properties. Clark won an Emmy last month for his television work.

Another former Steelers player, wide receiver Antonio Brown, has publicly made his case to replace Sharpe. Brown tweeted about his interest in the job last week.

Me omw to take Shannon Sharpe’s spot on Undisputed #ABUndisputed pic.twitter.com/ky5hIsldHx

— AB (@AB84) June 1, 2023

Brown, who has not officially retired from football, says he plans on suiting up for the Albany Empire, his arena football team, later this month. He has no experience working in television.

Undisputed has been running on Fox since 2016, when Bayless left ESPN and his former show First Take to go to Fox and host with Sharpe. The relationship between the two co-hosts has been strained recently, leading to speculation as to the reason for Sharpe’s departure.