Sage Steele opens up following ESPN exit: ‘This is so much bigger than me’

Former ESPN host Sage Steele discussed her departure from the company and why she felt she needed to take a stand

Sage Steele announced her departure from ESPN in August after 16 years following the settlement of her lawsuit against the company. 

Steele walked away from her "dream job" to exercise her "First Amendment rights more freely" nearly two years after an appearance on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast caused a major stir. 

"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my First Amendment rights more freely," Steele posted to X, the company formerly known as Twitter. 

"I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!"

SAGE STEELE LEAVES ESPN, WANTS TO 'EXERCISE MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS MORE FREELY'

ESPN NBA Reporter Sage Steele before Game 3 of the 2017 Western Conference finals between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs May 20, 2017, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.  (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Steele was taken off of ESPN airways for nearly two weeks in the fall of 2021 after giving her opinion on COVID-19 vaccine mandates at ESPN, calling former President Barack Obama’s decision to identify as Black on the census "fascinating" and discussing female reporters in the locker room. She said women working in sports media need to take responsibility for how they present themselves.

Steele sued ESPN in April 2022, claiming the network breached her contract over its reaction to remarks she made in the September 2021 podcast interview. 

"The hardest thing I’ve done. In my professional career, for sure," Steele told Fox News Digital when asked about her decision to