Video: Shannon Sharpe Thanks Skip Bayless in Emotional Exit from FS1's 'Undisputed'

Shannon Sharpe bid adieu to Undisputed and colleague Skip Bayless on Tuesday.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end confirmed he's leaving the show and thanked all of his coworkers from the last seven years. He also said he's "forever indebted" to Bayless for helping bring him onto Undisputed in the first place.

When Bayless left ESPN for Fox in 2016, many wondered who would serve as his foil in the format he had perfected with Stephen A. Smith. Skip and Shannon: Undisputed premiered in September 2016 with Sharpe sitting across the table.

The New York Post's Ryan Glasspiegel reported on May 31 the partnership was coming to an end after Sharpe agreed to a buyout with Fox.

Fans had begun to wonder whether a genuine sense of animosity between Sharpe and Bayless was growing.

In January, Sharpe famously didn't show up on set the day after Bayless suggested the NFL should've resumed the game in which Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. He then got into an argument with Bayless over the offending tweet when he resumed his usual duties.

Glasspiegel provided some possible context behind Sharpe's buyout when he reported the 54-year-old "did not seek to be the unquestioned leader on the show, but wanted to be an equal with Bayless in the program's topic selection."

Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez reported former NFL running back LeSean McCoy is a potential contender to succeed Sharpe. Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor and Nick Wright were listed as internal candidates.

When it comes to Sharpe, Smith said he'd welcome the four-time All-Pro on First Take on a part-time basis but doesn't want to alter the show by naming a permanent co-star.