Shannon Sharpe has dropped a cryptic update on his future on social media, warning fans to stay tuned for the ‘seeds’ he is planting as he ponders his next move amid a split with un- air partner Skip Bayless, who he co-hosts Fox Sports’ “Undisputed” with.
On Friday, “Unc ‘Shay Shay’ – a three-time Super Bowl winner – shared photos of himself in deep reflection as he tends to the blooming plants and flowers in the backyard of his LA home.
‘Went to the garden this morning. I’ve taken the time to pull out some weeds and make room for this season’s blooms,” the 55-year-old former NFL tight end shared on Instagram.
“Stay tuned for the seed I’m planting.”
On June 1, it was announced that Fox Sports and Sharpe had agreed to a buyout, ending the sports analyst’s seven-year association with Bayless as his debate partner on “Undisputed.”
FS1’s Shannon Sharpe told fans on Instagram on Friday to ‘stay tuned for the seeds I’m planting’
Sharpe has reached a buyout deal with Fox Sports to leave Undisputed in the summer
Days later, ex-NFL star and Fox Sports personality, Marcellus Willey, revealed that Sharpe’s “power struggle” with Bayless led to his departure from one of America’s leading sports reporters.
Sharpe has yet to comment on his impending departure. On the June 2 final episode of “Undisputed,” he chose to keep quiet about his much-rumoured departure while appearing on the air.
But his social media activity that day seemed to hint at what’s to come this summer.
“Their relationship got progressively worse over the past 2, maybe 3 years because Skip fought for him to be on that show, but I feel like Skip couldn’t stand Shannon succeeding without it and that’s when Skip potshots in the ether took,” read a tweet Sharpe loved.
The New York Post cited “people close to Sharpe” stating that the Pro Football Hall of Famer wanted more control over the show’s topic selection.
Sharpe liked a tweet that suggested a breakup with Undisputed co-host Bayless ever happened
Bayless and Sharpe attend the 2016 IAVA gala at Cipriani 42nd St in NYC November 2016
Bayless and Sharpe have previously shown noticeable signs of on-air friction, including after a controversial tweet from Bayless following Damar Hamlin’s collapse during an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in January.
Bayless shared on Twitter that the NFL was unable to postpone the game due to scheduling issues, despite concerns pouring in on social media about whether Hamlin had survived a cardiac arrest on the field.
No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game, but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is critical to the outcome of the regular season… which suddenly seems so irrelevant,” Bayless tweeted.
Sharpe didn’t make an appearance on the next day’s episode of “Undisputed,” but when he returned to the air a day later, he was seemingly annoyed by Bayless’ interruptions as he attempted to share his own thoughts on Hamlin’s health scares.
Bayless apologized for the insensitivity of his tweet, but never deleted it.
“Skip tweeted something, and while I disagreed with the tweet, and hopefully Skip will delete it,” Sharpe said on live TV in January, justifying his absence from “Undisputed” after the Hamlin incident, before Bayless came along.
“Time out,” Bayless said. “I’m not going to delete it because I stand by what I tweeted.”
Sharpe then replied, “I can’t even get through a monologue without you interrupting me.”
A controversial tweet from Bayless upset Sharpe on the night of Damar Hamlin’s health problems
Sharpe, second from right, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, having won three Super Bowls
The pair also clashed in December, when Bayless took things to a personal level by comparing Sharpe’s retirement from the NFL at age 35 to Tom Brady’s at age 45.
Sharpe hung up his cleats after winning three Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. He is considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time, ranking third in tight end receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Still, his impressive resume is no match for Brady’s, although the latter, of course, played as a quarterback.
‘I did what I did!’ Sharpe told Bayless. “You make it look like I was a bum! I’m in the Effin’ Hall of Fame. I’ve got three Super Bowls!”
Bayless, often outspoken, replied, “So what?” He’s much better than you were.’
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said he was “not at all surprised” when he heard about Sharpe’s imminent departure from “Undisputed” and even offered his “brother” a spot on the weekly rotation of former pros turned analysts on his show, ‘First Take.’
Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson, Ryan Clark, Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears and Damien Woody have already appeared on Smith’s primetime show.
“I’m telling you here: if Shannon Sharpe would like to join that roster, there is no resistance from Stephen A. I have love for Shannon Sharpe,” said the 55-year-old.
Smith previously worked with Bayless on “First Take” from 2012 to 2016.