Stephen A. Smith envisions himself working on Monday Night Football, but his ESPN teammates on the show apparently have “no interest” in the prospect of him joining them.
Smith, the star of the network’s daily talk show First Take, has risen to extreme prominence on the network, earning a whopping $12 million a year.
And while he wants to add Monday Night Football to his long list of responsibilities, a source told The US Sun that members of the program have serious doubts about his football acumen and attitude.
The source, who works on the show, said: ‘Stephen A. Smith said he’s looking to do more in the NFL and has his sights set on Monday Night Football, but I don’t think he realizes that no one wants him here.
“…Nobody wants him to cover football, and a lot of top analysts were talking about it ever since he did that interview where Smith said that.
Stephen A. Smith has publicly stated his desire to work on Monday Night Football
But the team is said to have “no interest” in welcoming the First Take host back to the show.
‘They laughed at it, some said: ‘there’s no way he’s going to join us, he’s not one of us football guys and he wants all the attention and all the spotlight’.
The source added that the perception that Smith is not a team player is a “huge red flag.”
‘They don’t want to work with him because they know the reputation and the high-tension environment he created at First Take.
“The workers talk amongst themselves, they don’t like him at all and don’t want to deal with him.”
Smith previously admitted that she “didn’t like” working with former First Take co-host Max Kellerman after the latter left the show, and it is believed to have played a role in her ouster from the show.
The US Sun report comes after Smith said Reception sports of his ambitions to expand his horizons beyond the NBA work he is known for and enter NFL coverage on Monday Night Football.
“I don’t want to insult the legacy of the great Howard Cosell, who I idolized. But that’s what I want to do,” Smith said. Reception sports.
“When I think about the NFL, I’m not thinking about being in the booth with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck,” he added. “You don’t mess with that chemistry; you just leave it alone.”
Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, Scott Van Pelt and Jason Kelce make up MNF’s studio coverage
Smith wants to try his luck in the NFL and is reportedly also looking for a big pay raise.
Others, however, are less convinced he can make it on MNF, with the aforementioned source saying Smith has “zero credibility as a football analyst.”
According to FOS, Smith is aiming to become ESPN’s highest-paid talent, surpassing the $18 million currently received by MNF commentator Troy Aikman.
For now, Smith will have to make do with his roles on First Take and ESPN’s NBA coverage, with Jason Kelce, Scott Van Pelt, Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark providing pregame coverage.
Last night, the crew was in Philadelphia as the Eagles suffered a surprising loss to the Falcons, losing 22-21.