Shannon Sharpe breaks silence: Why Hall of Famer offered an emotional apology to his brother, Sterling Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe is no long working at ESPN after being let go this week. During a special edition of his “Nightcap” podcast, not only did the Pro Football Hall of Famer confirm that he had been let go, but he also apologized to his brother, Sterling Sharpe. 

The older Sharpe brother is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week and it’s pretty clear that Shannon isn’t happy that he’s been in the headlines stealing some thunder from his brother. 

“I’m sorry that I upstaged you in this manner,” Shannon said. “That was never my intent. You’ve been my hero, my role model for as long as I can remember.”

Before being let go by ESPN, Shannon had asked the sports network to delay the decision until after Sterling’s Hall of Fame induction. 

“I’m sure everybody’s heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN,” Shannon said. “I found out this information a little earlier in the week, and really, the only thing I asked was, ‘Guys, can we wait until Monday? My brother is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.’ I really wanted it to be about him and I want it to be about my family. I said, ‘This coming out will overshadow everything that he’s worked his entire life for.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.”

Shannon, who recently settled a lawsuit where he had been accused of rape by an ex-girlfriend, hadn’t been on ESPN’s airwaves since April. After he was let go, Shannon said he immediately reached to his brother to offer an apology. 

“As I told him, as I profusely apologized to him, he said, ‘Bro, stop apologizing. You don’t have to apologize. I’m your big bro, you don’t have to apologize … I’m going to love you regardless. We all make mistakes,” Shannon said of what Sterling told him. “He says, ‘Bro, I love you. I’m done with this. You done with it too. Move on.'” 

Sterling, 60, is three years older than Shannon, who just turned 57 in June. 

Although Shannon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his third-year of eligibility, Sterling has had to wait much longer. The former Packers receiver, who has been out of the NFL since suffering a neck injury in 1994, finally made it to Canton as the senior candidate this year. 

Back in February, Shannon was actually the one who let Sterling know that he had finally been inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

Sterling was voted to five Pro Bowls during his seven NFL seasons, which all came in Green Bay. Sterling will be inducted on Saturday, which is why Shannon had hoped that the news of his exit from ESPN could have been delayed through the weekend. 

“I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday because I hate the fact that I’m overshadowing my brother,” Shannon said. “The first two brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and this is what the headline is going to be for the next couple of days.”

As Shannon noted, the Sharpes are the first two brothers to both make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shannon might feel bad about overshadowing Sterling’s big week, but based on Sterling’s comments, he just seems thrilled that he’s finally headed for Canton.