Stephen A. Smith sends heartfelt message to Molly Qerim after she departs from ESPN
Mol͏ly Qerim is set͏ to͏ lea͏ve ESPN ͏at the end of 2͏025͏, closing a͏ l͏ong chapter with the netwo͏rk she ͏joined in ͏2006͏. Qe͏r͏im b͏ecam͏e First ͏Take’s p͏ermanent ͏mod͏erat͏or in 2015 and ha͏s hosted͏ the ͏show for ͏roughly a de͏c͏ade. The Sports Business Jo͏urnal first rep͏ort͏ed her͏ depart͏ure on͏ a Monday n͏ight, and Qerim ͏confirmed on social media͏ th͏at th͏e news su͏rfaced earlier than sh͏e inten͏ded. She͏ said s͏te͏p͏ping away was a difficult choice and thanked viewers for wel͏c͏oming her i͏nto their homes.͏
Stephen A. Smith offered a warm on-air tribute after the announcement. Opening First Take, he expressed his emotion for Qerim.
""Welcome to First Take. Normally, our friend Molly Karam 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, an incomparable kindness. She's been an enormous part of our success for a decade""
- Smith said
"She has been an enormous part of our success for a decade. ... She did it with dignity, class, and kindness to say the least. We'll miss her and wish her every blessing on her future."
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 16, 2025
-@stephenasmith with a message for @MollyQerim as she announced she will be departing from… pic.twitter.com/pmVRwWg1dj
Qerim’s departure arrives as ESPN makes other moves. Malika Andrews has signed a multi-year extension with the network, solidifying her role as a leading NBA studio host. Andrews joined ESPN in 2018 and now anchors NBA Countdown and the daily show NBA Today. Her new contract underscores ESPN’s ongoing reshaping of its studio lineup amid Qerim’s exit.
ESPN has reached a multi-year extension with Sports Emmy Award-winning host & reporter @malika_andrews pic.twitter.com/v1JkXzvESX
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) September 16, 2025
""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""
- Smith said more about Qerim
Qerim did not announce her next destination, only asking fans to 'stay tuned.' For now, First Take and its viewers face a transition, a respected moderator is leaving, and the network continues to invest in rising talent like Andrews.
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