Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim continue to be absent from First Take

Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim, the prominent hosts of ESPN's highly successful show "First Take," have been absent from the program lately, leading to speculation about potential changes.

Currently, Shae Cornette has been filling in for Qerim, alongside Marcus Spears and Dan Orlovsky.

According to The Sun, the absence of Qerim and Smith could be attributed to extended vacations, possibly due to the upcoming NFL and NBA seasons, which start in September and October, respectively.

Recent firings within ESPN have cast uncertainty on the network's direction, raising concerns about potential changes to the show that has been a major revenue generator. Smith even mentioned on his podcast that he could be at risk of being let go.

“This ain’t the end. More is coming,” Smith said. “And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I could be next. Let me tell you all something. Don’t ever, ever, ever in your life as a Black person take anything for granted."

Stephen A. Smith appeared on 'Podcast P with Paul George'

Despite his break from ESPN, Stephen A. Smith has been actively working on his own podcast and also appeared in another hosted by Los Angeles Clippers wingman Paul George.

Smith addressed the situation on "Podcast P with Paul George," where he shared his thoughts on athletes launching self-produced shows.

"I'm incredibly proud of y'all. I think there's a lot of people in the business that won't admit but they don't want y'all from a competitive standpoint, they don't want y'all to succeed," said Smith.

"But what I would ask you to consider is that have some compassion for them who feel that way because here's what they are not going to tell you, you get 35-40 million a year already, this is our job. You (become) successful, you take more opportunities away," Smith added.

WATCH: Stephen A. Smith's full interview with Paul George

In the podcast, Smith also tacked issues with Jackie Long, along with Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins, and many more.