ESPN already knew it was going to have to replace Molly Qerim as the host of First Take.
It just wasn’t planning on doing so soon.
Speaking with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus addressed Qerim’s abrupt exit from the network earlier this week. And in addition to revealing that the UConn alum would have been leaving First Take at the end of the year even if she had re-signed with the Worldwide Leader, he also shared that the show will be auditioning potential replacements over the course of the next month, and potentially longer.
“While we knew we were going to make a change — her deal ran through the end of the year — we were more focused on that timeline,” he said. “So we’re going to take probably about 30 to 45 days to try a variety of in-house people because we can do that on the show. Then we’ll make a decision shortly after that.”
While Magnus left the door open for a potential external hire, it seems more likely that First Take‘s next full-time host will be someone who’s already at ESPN. Following Qerim’s abrupt resignation, Stephen A. Smith has hosted the show since Tuesday’s episode, which began with the ESPN star addressing his now-former co-host’s exit.
Stephen A. Smith: “Good morning and welcome to First Take. Normally, our friend Molly Qerim would greet you. However, Molly announced last night she will be departing from ESPN. She’s hosted First Take for 10 years and elevated the show with her grace, her expertise and her… pic.twitter.com/2aAmG8d2N7
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 16, 2025
As for potential replacements, a number of obvious candidates already stand out. Anchors and reporters such as Shae Cornette, Christine Williamson, Courtney Cronin and Monica McNutt have all previously filled in on First Take in recent years, with the departure of Molly Qerim providing the opportunity for someone to take on the role on a full-time basis.
As for the abrupt nature of Qerim’s exit, Magnus stated that it was merely a matter of their contract negotiations falling apart. And once the story became public via a report from Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal on Monday night, the timeline was sped up, accelerating the network’s succession plans in the process.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.