Stephen A. Smith 'could be worth as much as $20MILLION a year as he negotiates new deal with ESPN' after thousands of brutal layoffs by Disney

Is Stephen A. Smith about to become ESPN's highest-paid talent?

As reported by Front Office Sports, the First Take co-host and NBA analyst could earn as much as $20 million annually in his ongoing negotiations with the World Wide Leader.

Currently, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman ranks atop the ESPN salary rankings at reported $18 million a year.

ESPN spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Smith's current contract reportedly ends in July of 2025. 

The network was forced to cut many on-air positions in 2023 as parent company Disney ordered thousands of layoffs throughout the conglomerate.  

The key to Smith's future, FOS writes, is the NFL – America's most popular sports league.

The key for ESPN to retain Smith will be allowing him to cover the NFL more directly, sources told FOS. The 56-year-old idolized ABC's Howard Cosell in his youth, and would like to follow in his path to the gridiron.

Smith has previously hinted at his desire to cover more NFL.

'I'm looking at the NFL and I'm saying, 'Wait a minute, I've accomplished a lot of things in my life, but my idol was Howard Cosell, who was in the NFL,' Smith told Jason Barrett at the Barrett Sports Media Summit in March. 'I talk about the NFL on First Take every day. I think I can do it. All of a sudden you get excited about it.'

It's unlikely that Smith would find himself in the Monday Night Football booth with ESPN already promising a combined $165 million to Aikman and Joe Buck through 2027.

ESPN may not be the only suitor for Smith, who has recently dipped his toe into political infotainment with appearances on Sean Hannity's Fox News show. The New York native could create his own platform, with the help of his agency, WME.

'Stephen A.'s deal is coming up. In fact, I think there have been preliminary talks already that have started, insider James Andrew Miller reported. 'He's looking for a big, big number.

'And I also feel, given the content world, he doesn't even have to have another offer from one entity for that big number. I think what ESPN is up against is the possibility that WME could go out and create an architecture where Stephen A. has a podcast, a deal with this, a deal with that, whatever, and at the end of the day, it's $20 million a year.'

Smith currently has a podcast partnership with iHeartMedia, and recently produced a documentary for ESPN about the history of sports punditry.