After every Dallas Cowboys flameout in the NFL Playoffs, sports fans are already expecting one thing:
Immediately after the game, Stephen A. Smith will post a video of himself in front of his television. The following day, Smith will clown the Cowboys on ESPN's "First Take."
Smith has found his lane in NFL media as the Cowboys' troll. He speaks about the NFL on "First Take," but it's known that Smith's strength is the NBA. His journalism career started when he covered the Philadelphia 76ers for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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But as the face of ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, Smith has had to evolve into a voice speaking about the world's top news across all sports—which is why he's been talking a lot more about the WNBA this year—and there's no bigger league in the US than the NFL.
That's why Smith reportedly wants to talk more about it.
Smith wants more NFL coverage for his next ESPN contract
Smith's ESPN contract, which he signed in 2019, ends in July 2025. He is making around $12 million annually on his current deal, but he's publicly said he wants to be the network's highest-paid talent.
That would mean surpassing the likes of Troy Aikman ($18 million annually) and Pat McAfee ($17 million annually).
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Negotiations between Smith's agency at WME and ESPN are reportedly underway, and according to a report by Front Office Sports, Smith could command around $20 million per year on that next deal.
He could also walk away from the network and go independent, focusing on his podcast "The Stephen A. Smith Show" and production company Mr. SAS Inc.
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So, if ESPN is going to keep Smith, it may need to offer more than just money. And the selling point to lure Smith may be to give him more "direct" NFL coverage, according to FOS.
While Smith talks about the NFL on "First Take," he's not in any of the other NFL-related broadcasts. For the NBA, Smith is on ESPN's studio show "NBA Countdown" and also sometimes guests on ESPN's daily NBA show, "NBA Today."
Smith could receive similar treatment with the NBA and NFL, which would be throwing him into ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" or "Monday Night Countdown."
Because Smith's contract is still going to renew in July 2025, don't expect Smith to be hopping in the NFL studio shows this coming season. That is, unless they try to throw him in already to give it a shot.
If that does happen, it's worth noting that ESPN's "Monday Night Football" is carrying two Cowboys games this season: A Week 11 match-up against the Houston Texans, and a Week 14 match-up against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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