Stephen A. Smith compared himself to Dak Prescott as he demands ESPN pay him a salary worth his time, with the popular analyst pointing out he’s been on the top of his game for over a decade of punditry.
Known for roles on SportsCenter and First Take, where he earned a reputation for his bold predictions and opinions, the 56-year-old is currently under contract until June 2025 and the network is open to retaining his services.
And he also seems keen to stay, although he seems insistent he will not be taken for a fool as far as negotiating a salary goes by boldly proclaiming the Dallas Cowboys‘ Prescott is on $240m for not doing all that much whilst Smith has been highly successful.
“Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million,” Smith told the Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace show. “He’s making $60 million a year. Has won two playoff games in eight years.
“I’ve been number one for 12 years. I’m sorry; in our respective industries I win, and I’m fully aware of what I’m worth, and I will never apologize to that for anybody.”
But the word on the vine is that his ESPN colleagues aren’t actually fans of him and they don’t want to keep him around for too much longer with one insider pointing out problems his salary demands place on production budgets.
“The situation about Stephen A. Smith bringing tons of attention to his salary requests,” an insider told the US Sun. “And the fact that he wants to be the most paid guy on TV and asks for 25 million per year adds a lot of tension to the team.
“To the journalists who aren’t on his small circle, king’s court’ and on the crew, as it will literally explode the budget of the show.”
Smith refuses to show his hand
Smith, currently paid an estimated $12m per year as per The New York Post back in 2021, is one of the stars of the United States’ punditry and analyst scene and is regarded as the only clear peer to Skip Bayless.
However, he gave absolutely no hints regarding how much he thinks he is worth and what he’s looking for from ESPN as their negotiations continue to rage on with the two industry giants locking horns as he sends a fierce message.
“I’m not getting specific as it pertains to numbers,” Smith added. “Because only a fool discusses his own negotiations while negotiating.
“I would ask, respectfully, to pay attention to the industry, see what people are getting paid. See how much money they’re making and what they’re bringing to the table.”
