Molly Qerim on the First Take setMolly Qerim (Photo via Instagram)
Four marquee ESPN talents have been mentioned as potential candidates to replace Molly Qerim on the popular “First Take” program.

Last week, news broke that Molly Qerim would be leaving ESPN at the end of 2025. Qerim, who has been with the Worldwide Leader in Sports since 2006, confirmed her pending departure on social media.

Qerim is the second “First Take” talent who will have left the network in 2025. Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who joined ESPN in 2023, was fired in July after settling a rape lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend.

With Qerim set to leave ESPN at the end of the year, Daniel Matthews of the Daily Mail listed four potential replacements to host “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith.

The four talents Matthews listed were “SportsCenter” host Shae Peppler Cornette, “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today” host Malika Andrews, insider Peter Schrager and Chicago Bears reporter Courtney Cronin, who regularly appears on “First Take” and “Around the Horn.”

ESPN announced a contract extension for Malika Andrews last week. Schrager, who previously worked at NFL Network and Fox Sports, joined ESPN in April.

Molly Qerim Is The Latest Notable ESPN Departure

ESPN Executive Finally Reveals The Truth Behind Molly Qerim’s Sudden Exit From The NetworkMolly Qerim (Photo via Instagram/@mollyqerim)

Despite being the Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN has seen a giant list of big-name talents depart over the last two years. Though most of the departures were budget cut decisions made by the higher-ups, it’s still stunning to see how much talent the network has lost.

In 2023, ESPN started laying off a plethora of talents as part of budget cuts. This included Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck, Jalen Rose, Steve Young, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Todd McShay and Jeff Van Gundy.

Last year, legendary NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski stunned everyone by retiring as an insider to take the GM role of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies men’s basketball team. ESPN picked up his former rival, Shams Charania, to take over as their lead NBA insider.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.


From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.