Stephen A. Smith gives honest take on Shannon Sharpe's emotional exit from 'Undisputed' - "I was surprised at the tears"

After seven years, Shannon Sharpe is leaving FS1 and 'Undisputed', and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith had a few words about it.

On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame tight end hosted his last episode of 'Undisputed', his hot-take show with Skip Bayless. At its conclusion, he intermittently wept as Bayless spoke about their time together.

That aspect seemed to surprise Stephen A. Smith, who said on his eponymous FanDuel show:

"I'll confess, I was a bit surprised. I was surprised at the tears. I was surprised that the emotion... I'm quite sure some people out there thought it was fake as hell. And I was really to be honest with you, I was really proud at the way they ended their time together."

"And again, I'm assuming, because I don't know, that the feelings weren't everything that was expressed in Shannon Sharpe's sign-off. Because in this business, you don't just see things happen that abruptly."

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What was said on Shannon Sharpe's last episode of 'Undisputed'?

As Shannon Sharpe prepared to leave the network that he had joined in 2016, he said:

"The train stops for Shannon Sharpe and 'Undisputed 'right here. Over seven years I've made a lot of friends and I like to take the time now to thank some of these people.

"I'd like to thank Fox Sports 1 for giving me this opportunity, for believing in me, and it allowed me to share this stage with a young man that I've sat across from for seven years."

The "young man" was of course co-host Skip Bayless:

"The opportunity you gave me to become what I became, I'm forever indebted to you. I'll never forget what you did for me. You've helped me grow more than you ever know. ... All I ask is when you lay your head on that pillow at night, know I gave you everything I had."

And Shannon Sharpe's co-host also offered his thoughts on working with the Hall of Famer:

"Thank you for all you have given to me. When I first took this job back in June of 2016, we had a whole other format in mind until it became clear Shannon Sharpe is available. And I said I believe he can do this, and did you ever."

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Who could replace Shannon Sharpe on 'Undisputed'?

Despite Shannon Sharpe's departure, 'Undisputed' is expected to continue - albeit with a new host.

According to Front Office Sports, former running back LeSean McCoy is the favorite to succeed the Hall of Fame tight end beside Skip Bayless. The six-time Pro Bowler currently hosts 'SPEAK', another FS1 program, and he recently posted a pair of cryptic tweets hinting at joining the show:

Other names mentioned include LeSean McCoy's 'SPEAK' colleagues Joy Taylor and former Philadelphia Eagles teammate Emmanuel Acho, 'First Things First' co-host Nick Wright, former 'First Take' co-host Max Kellerman, and former wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin.