Report: Molly Qerim leaving ESPN, ‘First Take’ at the end of year

According to reports, Molly Qerim, the longtime host of ESPN’s First Take, is in her final months with the network.

Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal reported on Monday night that Qerim is planning on leaving ESPN at the end of 2025. He also detailed that the network offered Qerim a new contract but she opted to leave.

“Molly Qerim, the host of ESPN’s ‘First Take’ since 2015, is leaving the network at the end of the year, sources tell SBJ,” Karp reported. “Qerim first started at ESPN in 2006 working on digital/mobile efforts before moving over to the news team in 2008. Sources tell SBJ that ESPN offered Qerim a contract, but she choose to move on.”

Qerim, a Connecticut native and UConn graduate, has had many different roles in her time at ESPN. Before becoming the host of First Take, she was an interactive host of College Football Live and a reporter for Fantasy Football Now.

For just over 10 years, Qerim has been the host of First Take. She was the show’s fill-in host during the summer of 2015, then became its full-time host when the previous host, Cari Champion, began hosting SportsCenter.

Before joining ESPN in 2006, Qerim worked at both the NFL Network and CBS Sports Network.