Shannon Sharpe’s secret project revealed

Nearly two months after teasing his next venture in the wake of parting ways with FS1, Undisputed and Skip Bayless, we finally have some clarity on Shannon Sharpe’s latest project.

Last month, with reports and rumors circulating about Sharpe’s future as Bayless’s debate partner, the Pro Football Hall of Famer caused a stir on social media with an Instagram post that appeared to tease having something new in the works.

“Went out to the garden this morning. Took the time to pull some weeds, making room for this season’s flowers to grow. Stay tuned for the seeds I’m planting,” Sharpe wrote on Instagram, sharing photos of himself gardening in front of a camera.

Is Sharpe a passionate gardener? An expert botanist? Was he joining HGTV? Or was “time to pull some weeds” just a metaphor for cutting bait with Bayless?

After almost two months, we finally have an answer. Sharpe pruned flowers while wearing an apron and gardening gloves for a Gatorade commercial.

We all want to come through in the clutch ⌚

Grab a @Gatorade and #DontGoMissing when it matters most ⚡ pic.twitter.com/vhVKjWVIPq

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) July 25, 2023

The new ad starring Damian Lillard was released this week and it features a cameo of Sharpe wearing the same apron and gardening gloves as he did in his cryptic Instagram post last month. Great for Sharpe to land the endorsement deal, but also, that’s kind of disappointing. The Instagram post made it seem like something big and unexpected was brewing.

Sharpe still has something big brewing, with his looming ESPN deal to join Stephen A. Smith on First Take, albeit not unexpected. Instead of wagering cases of Mountain Dew and arguing about sports with Skip Bayless on FS1, Sharpe can soon bet Gatorade and yell with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN.

[Gatorade]