Michael Irvin is coming back to ‘First Take,’ and apparently ESPN has decided that peace and quiet are overrated.
The legendary Dallas Cowboys receiver is set to return to the popular sports debate show as the NFL season gets rolling. The news was revealed by Stephen A. Smith, shortly after Smith announced another interesting addition to the show’s schedule.
Yes, Skip Bayless is also coming back, but there is a twist.
Smith revealed that Bayless will reunite with him one day each month. Then came another familiar name. Michael Irvin will also be part of the First Take roster.
Michael Irvin seems to be enjoying being back on First Take pic.twitter.com/hHJED2iFsY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 14, 2026
At this point, ESPN might as well put a giant “Welcome Back” sign outside the studio.
“My man Skip Bayless is coming back to First Take. You know who else is coming back? Michael Irvin. The Playmaker,” Smith said in a video posted Sunday to his YouTube channel. “He’ll be back on Mondays for the football season. And I ain’t even bring into account the rest of the crew that I got coming with me.”
First Take is in flux after losing Shannon Sharpe, Ryan Clark, and Cam Newton over the past year. The show’s cast was expected to see some new additions for NFL coverage. It turns out that what’s new is old.
Bayless was the show’s original host from 2007-16, and he made his return earlier this year in a well-rated special episode. Irvin was a panelist on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown shortly after retiring, from 2003-07, and has been a frequent favorite guest of Smith’s.
The timing also makes sense. The NFL season is here, which means fans are already arguing about quarterbacks, coaches, playoff predictions and whether their favorite team is secretly winning the Super Bowl.
When Smith was looking for a replacement after Max Kellerman’s departure in 2021, ESPN reportedly even considered Irvin as a potential full-time co-host alongside Smith. More recently, Irvin was a regular contributor to FS1’s Speak. Irvin also hosts Netflix’s first original sports podcast, The White House, and has become a key character in the University of Miami’s return to the college football mountaintop.
There is something nostalgic about seeing familiar faces return to a show that has built its reputation on big personalities and even bigger arguments.
So, with Skip Bayless dropping by once a month and Michael Irvin returning to the roster, First Take is getting another dose of its old-school energy.
