ESPN’s biggest morning show is going to get a new look in the near future, as First Take will apparently no longer feature Max Kellerman. According to Front Office Sports and confirmed by the New York Post, Kellerman is expected to leave First Take at some point soon, without a permanent replacement in the fold.
Instead of a permanent verbal sparring, Stephen A. Smith will take on a rotation of ESPN personalities and guests as he will be the undisputed face of the program that has become ESPN’s most popular entity (or, for some, the most loathed). Molly Qerim will remain on as the show’s host, steering the ship from topic to topic. Per Front Office Sports, the idea may simply be “Stephen A. vs. the World.”
As for Kellerman, he will remain at ESPN and the expectation is that he’ll return to a more prominent role on the radio side, while also continuing to host his boxing program. There are rumblings that Kellerman could join ESPN Radio’s morning show with Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams, or expand his current program, The Max Kellerman Show, which occupies an afternoon timeslot.
Nothing is official as of this moment, but it seems First Take will look quite different in the near future as Stephen A. will no longer sit opposite just one co-host.
