The sports media world was stunned when longtime First Take host Molly Qerim announced she was stepping away from ESPN after a decade on the show. The news came directly from Qerim herself in an Instagram post, and the sudden nature of her resignation left fans and colleagues alike reeling.
Among the most visibly affected was Stephen A. Smith, who addressed Qerim’s departure both on First Take and later on his own show.
On Tuesday morning’s broadcast of First Take, Smith opened with an uncharacteristically somber tone.
“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 incomparable kindness.”
“She’s been an enormous part of our success for a decade. Not only did she keep me and many others in line, she did it with dignity and class and kindness, to say the least. We’ll miss her and wish her every blessing on her future.”
“I personally am grateful to her for her friendship, and I will miss spending every weekday morning with her right by my side.”
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
Later that day on The Stephen A. Smith Show, he went deeper into his feelings about Qerim leaving, making it clear how much her absence would impact him personally and professionally.
“Last night, she abruptly resigned as the host of the show. And 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 have 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.”
Stephen A. Smith on Molly Qerim leaving ESPN: "Last night she abruptly resigned as the host of the show" pic.twitter.com/e6ZC0lIRZ4
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 16, 2025
Smith acknowledged the business side of Qerim’s departure but was careful not to speculate publicly.
“The details, quite frankly, are none of y’all business. It was a contract negotiation that was going on. ESPN certainly did not want to lose her. But in the end, she made a decision to walk away from the show effective immediately, as you see from her Instagram post.”
Pressed by fans eager for more information, Smith drew a clear boundary.
“That story is for her to tell. Do I have an idea? Of course I do. Am I gonna share it with you? No.”
"That story is for her to tell. Do I have an idea, of course I do. Am I gonna share it with you? No" 👀
– Stephen A. Smith on Molly Qerim leaving First Take
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 16, 2025
Qerim joined First Take in 2015, initially as a fill-in before taking over permanently after Cari Champion’s move to SportsCenter.
Over the past decade, she became a defining presence on the show, managing heated debates between Smith and his rotating co-hosts while maintaining her signature poise and professionalism. Her departure leaves a massive void on ESPN’s flagship morning debate show.
For Smith, the loss goes beyond television chemistry. It’s also about losing a trusted partner with whom he shared a daily routine for 10 years. His reflections revealed just how intertwined their professional journeys had become and how difficult it would be for him to adjust.
As Smith made clear, Qerim’s next steps are for her to reveal in her own time. For now, her sudden resignation has closed a defining chapter in ESPN history and left her longtime co-star mourning the end of one of the most successful partnerships in sports television.
