Shannon Sharpe had become a bigger part of ESPN after leaving Fox Sports, with a role on First Take that saw him go toe to toe with Stephen A. Smith.

But now? Per a report from The Athletic, he's out from the network officially.

Why is that? As our Christian D'Andrea wrote back in April: "Shannon Sharpe was the central figure in a lawsuit filed by an unnamed 'Jane Doe' which accuses Sharpe of sexual assault, rape and battery, along with -- per USA TODAY Sports -- 'engaging in the intentional infliction of emotional distress.'"

It was earlier this month that Tony Buzbee, the attorney for accuser "Jane Doe" announced that there would be a settlement and that the case would be dismissed.

So it would seem that those accusations led to ESPN letting him go.

Has Shannon Sharpe been on the air since the lawsuit was announced?

No. He hasn't been on since April.

Will Shannon Sharpe continue to do his podcasts, Nightcap and Club Shay Shay?

It seems that way until we hear otherwise.

What was Shannon Sharpe's ESPN contract?

All we know is that the company announced a "multi-year contract" with Sharpe back in 2024.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why was Shannon Sharpe cut from ESPN after lawsuit settlement?

Reporting by Charles Curtis, For The Win / For The Win

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