NFL legend to join Stephen A. Smith on First Take just a week after Molly Qerim’s shock ESPN exit
A week after Molly Qerim made her shocking exit from ESPN, NFL legend Drew Brees will step onto her former show to make weekly appearances alongside Stephen A. Smith.
Qerim was primarily known at the network for being the host of ‘First Take’, where she mediated heated debates between the likes of Smith, Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo, and others.
Brees will be a weekly contributor on ‘First Take’, adding to his sports-media resurgence after an appearance on Fox’s NFL coverage on Sunday.
The non-exclusive agreement will allow Brees to pursue other broadcasting opportunities outside of the network, including being in the booth for one of this season’s Christmas Day games on Netlfix, per Barrett Media.
Brees worked for NBC during the 2021 NFL season and has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since.
Now, the legendary quarterback is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow gridiron elites Tom Brady and JJ Watt and find his niche in the NFL post-retirement.
NFL legend Drew Brees will become a weekly contributor on ESPN show ‘First Take’
Brees will join Stephen A. Smith on-air after the shocking exit of host Molly Qerim from ESPN
‘I’d step in the booth right now and be a top-three guy,’ Brees told Dan Patrick. ‘Like, without question. And then you give me a few years, and I could be the best.’
Brees’ Fox appearance did not come without a little bit of chaos, caused by fellow legendary quarterback-turned-broadcaster Terry Bradshaw.
On Sunday, Bradshaw could not help but show his distaste for being cut off by fellow Fox Sports host Charissa Thompson, as she signaled for a commercial break in the middle of him speaking.
Moments before Bradshaw started fuming on-air, Brees was asked who was on his Mount Rushmore for NFL quarterbacks.
The longtime Saints signal caller first jokes that Bradshaw may have to be on because he invited him to join him at prestigious horse-racing event, The Breeder’s Cup.
Then Brees listed Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and Doug Flutie as other members of his elite foursome.
As Bradshaw started to chime in and give his take at the best to ever play quarterback, Thompson stops him and motions that Fox needed to take a commercial break.
The camera then pans away from the on-air talent, with Bradshaw stating, ‘I finally get to talk football and you go to break!’ before the screen faded to black.
