Shannon Sharpe tears up in emotional goodbye to 'Undisputed,' Skip Bayless

It's official: Shannon Sharpe is leaving "Undisputed."

The Hall of Fame tight end hosted his last episode Tuesday, ending his tenure on the popular FS1 morning show. He's hosted "Undisputed" alongside co-host Skip Bayless since September 2016.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is officially my last day at work," Sharpe said Tuesday. "After seven years, the train stops with Shannon Sharpe and 'Undisputed' right here."

Sharpe's departure comes less than two weeks after the New York Post reported Sharpe reached a buyout with Fox Sports to leave the show, and his last show would come after the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

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Shannon Sharpe 'forever indebted' to Skip Bayless

After thanking Fox Sports and others for the opportunity to host the show, Sharpe thanked Bayless for giving him the chance to be on the air in an emotional goodbye.

"Skip Bayless, you fought for me. I'm here because of you. You've allowed me to share the stage with you. You allow me to share the platform," Sharpe said. "The opportunity that you gave me, to become what I became, I'm forever indebted to you. I'll never forget what you did for me. You've helped me grow more than you ever know."

Skip Bayless: Shannon Sharpe was 'a worthy adversary'

Bayless also got emotional when reflecting on their time on the show, thanking Sharpe for taking a chance with him despite the criticism the show faced in its beginnings.

"When I first took this job back in June of 2016, we had a whole other format in mind. When it came clear Shannon Sharpe is available and I said I believe he can do this, and did you ever," Bayless said. "I want to thank you for dedicating yourself to this job. It is a voracious beast of a show. Day after day after day, you dedicated yourself to this job just the way you dedicated yourself to professional football hall of famer.

"I want to thank you for never taking a sick day. I want to thank you for preparing as hard as you could every single day, every single topic. I want to thank you for competing as long as you competed with me because the greatest compliment I can give you is you were a worthy adversary," he said.

Bayless noted some of their most highly-heated debates, from Bayless' Cowboys to LeBron James' status as the greatest NBA player of all time.

The two also said they love each other.

What's next for Shannon Sharpe?

Bayless said he looks forward to Sharpe's next achievement and he "knows it is coming," but Sharpe said he doesn't have anything planned for after "Undisputed."

"Ladies and gentlemen home, thank you, thank you. You will see me again somewhere. I just don't know where," Sharpe said before the show ended.

While Sharpe's next venture hasn't been announced, he does have his "Club Shay Shay" podcast, which has over 1 million followers on YouTube. As for "Undisputed," it's unclear who will replace Sharpe, as Bayless signed a four-year, $32 million contract with Fox Sports in 2021.

Contributing: Cydney Henderson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shannon Sharpe tears up on final 'Undisputed' show with Skip Bayless