Stephen A. Smith to join ESPN's Monday Night Football pre-game team amid Molly Qerim exit
Expanded duties include at least three MNF appearances as Smith nears a $100 million ESPN contract
Stephen A. Smith is set to join ESPN's Monday Night Football pre-game team, tapping into a higher-profile role on the network's standalone NFL window. The veteran analyst will make at least three appearances on MNF this season, part of an expanded duties package tied to his new contract worth about $100 million, Front Office Sports reported.
Smith revealed the scope of his expanded duties on Thursday, telling Front Office Sports that the three MNF appearances are just the beginning. 'Those are just the three I know about. Knowing them at ESPN, they’ll want more,' he said. 'They’ll certainly want more of me on NBA Countdown. And so who knows? I mean, I’m doing First Take. But it’s ESPN.' He added: 'They know whatever they need me for - SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, NFL Countdown - it doesn’t matter. Whatever’s going to help make the network successful.'
Two more details: the three known MNF appearances include this week's game between the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens, and two others later in the season. Smith will be on the sidelines for Arizona at Dallas and for the Eagles at Los Angeles to face the Chargers in Week 14.
Qerim departure: The report notes that Qerim's exit was announced days earlier; Smith said: 'To say that I’m quite sad about it is an understatement. Molly is a friend. Molly is a coworker. Molly is somebody that I’ve leaned on on many occasions in the past, as she has done when it comes to me. We’ve been partners on the show for the last 10 years, and a lot of times some of these things happen, and it’s just uncomfortable to see.' He added: 'The details, quite frankly, are none of y’all’s business. It’s not as if I know all the details. It was a contract negotiation that was going on. ESPN certainly did not want to lose her. But in the end, she made her decision to walk away from the show effective immediately.'
ESPN officials did not disclose the reasons for Qerim's departure, and neither the network nor Smith provided further details about the leadership decision. The move comes as ESPN continues to reorganize its NFL coverage and cross-pollinate talent across studio programming. Smith’s expanded duties include potential appearances on other ESPN properties, with the network signaling a broader strategy to leverage high-profile voices across its sports lineup.
Beyond MNF, questions remain about how far Smith's expanded responsibilities will extend — including whether he could appear on Inside the NBA, which is moving from TNT to ESPN this fall. At present, no confirmation has been provided. The development underscores ESPN's ongoing effort to maximize reach by deploying marquee analysts across its sports lineup, while maintaining emphasis on the network's flagship programs.
Stephen A. Smith’s move to MNF adds to a broader trend of anchors and analysts expanding their roles across ESPN’s NFL and NBA coverage, as the network tries to capitalize on high-profile personalities to drive viewership across live sports and studio shows.