Stephen A. Smith set for new ESPN role just days after Molly Qerim's shock First Take exit

Stephen A Smith will soon rub shoulders with Jason Kelce, Scott Van Pelt, and others as he will join the broadcast team of ESPN's Monday Night Football pre-game show, starting in a few days. 

Smith will make at least three appearances with the crew for the network's standalone NFL window. 

His expanded responsibilities at ESPN were already known to be part of his new $100million contract. It was just a matter of when he would join the MNF crew. 

Smith revealed his role beyond 'First Take' on Thursday, per Front Office Sports, only days after his on-air colleague, Molly Qerim announced she was leaving ESPN. 

'Those are just the three I know about. Knowing them at ESPN, they’ll want more,' Smith said to the outlet. 'They’ll certainly want more of me on NBA Countdown. And so who knows? I mean, I’m doing First Take. But it’s ESPN.'

'They know whatever they need me for - SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, NFL Countdown - it doesn’t matter. Whatever’s going to help make the network successful.'

Smith also added that no matter what ESPN's leadership throws at him, the bombastic broadcaster will 'do whatever they ask.' 

The three known appearances for Smith on Monday Night Football are this week's spectacular between the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens and two others later in the season. 

Smith will be on the sidelines for Arizona against Dallas and the Eagles trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in Week 14. 

It is unknown if Smith's expanded role will include appearing on Inside the NBA, which jumps from TNT to ESPN this fall, with an airtight quartet of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.  

No reason has been stated for Qerim's departure by the 41-year-old, ESPN, or Smith. Yet, the sports commentator gave his full thoughts on the situation on Tuesday. 

'To say that I’m quite sad about it is an understatement,' Smith said. 'Molly is a friend. Molly is a co-worker. Molly is somebody that I’ve leaned on on many occasions in the past, as she has done when it comes to me. We’ve been partners on the show for the last 10 years, and a lot of times some of these things happen, and it’s just uncomfortable to see.'

'The details, quite frankly, are none of y’all’ business. It’s not as if I know all the details. It was a contract negotiation that was going on. ESPN certainly did not want to lose her. But in the end, she made her decision to walk away from the show effective immediately.'