Shannon Sharpe suggested that financial issues might be a factor as he encouraged his good friend and podcast co-host Chad Johnson to repay a debt he owes to the NFL Hall of Famer.

Sharpe, 57, parted ways with ESPN last week. This followed the resolution of a major legal case with an ex-girlfriend who had previously accused him of rape. The lawsuit was settled with the accuser retracting her accusations against Sharpe.

And now, the former tight end has hinted that money is a bit tight as he pressed Johnson to pay him back.

“So, do you owe me $5,900? You basically said you’d pay when you’re ready,” Sharpe remarked as they discussed Jerry Jones’s approach to negotiations—or the purported lack thereof—with Parsons’ representatives.

‘Imma take care of you baby. I’m not Jerry. I don’t like that comparison. Don’t do me like that,’ Johnson hit back.

‘[My] pocket’s light right now, Ocho… Just saying, pocket’s light,’ Sharpe said, sending the pair into a fit of laughter. 

“See, that’s why I love you,” Johnson responded. “That’s exactly what I need… That’s the Shannon I need. We’re going to be okay. I’m telling you. We’re good.”

Sharpe’s quip about his financial situation came just two days after he and Johnson were slapped with yet another lawsuit. 

The podcast hosts are facing a $20 million lawsuit from Jimalita Tillman, a Chicago woman who gained attention following a playful interaction with Usher at one of his concerts in April.

Tillman is reportedly suing Sharpe, his ‘Nightcap’ podcast partner Chad Johnson, and the show’s production company, Shay Shay Media, alleging that they knowingly spread false information about her marital status.

Her steamy interaction with Usher caused a stir on social media at the time, with fans picking up on the intensity between them at the concert. 

Though despite her claims that she is not married, Sharpe and Johnson joked that Tillman’s ‘husband’ was divorcing on the back of the viral clip.

‘The defendants’ false narratives were shared widely across their platforms, reaching millions of followers, viral spread and refutation efforts, despite my clear and public reputation of the false narrative,’ Tillman’s filing read. 

Tillman, a single mother and global director for the Harold Washington Cultural Center, claims she went on national media shows to refute the allegations made by Sharpe and Johnson.

‘The defendants continued to post the defamatory content across their social media platforms,’ she added. ‘I made numerous efforts to contact the defendants to request the removal of this false narrative, but these requests were disregarded.’

Tillman said the false statements have caused ‘significant harm to my character and reputation.’ She is reportedly seeking $20m in damages.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Sharpe’s legal team for comment.

Sharpe was previously sued for defamation by Brett Favre over comments he made about the Green Bay Packers legend’s connection to a welfare misspending case during an episode of Fox Sports’ Undisputed in 2022.

Favre characterized the comments as ‘egregiously false.’ However, a judge dismissed the case against him in 2022 after ruling that they were protected under the US Constitution.

Sharpe has been embroiled in controversy this year after a woman, identified as one of his ex-girlfriends, accused him of raping her on two occasions over the course of their relationship in a bombshell lawsuit.

The First Take star, who denied the allegations, stepped away from his part-time duties with ESPN and vowed to return later in the year once he had proved his innocence.

Yet just weeks after the accuser reached a settlement and retracted the allegations, it was revealed last Wednesday that he has been fired by ESPN after almost two years.

Johnson had appeared on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ just hours before it was reported that the network had parted ways with the NFL Hall of Famer, who made regular guest appearances on the show.

And the former wide receiver seized the chance to pitch himself to Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim and the crew as he appeared to angle for a permanent position in the studio.

Sharpe addressed his shock departure later in the evening, saying at the start of his ‘Nightcap’ podcast : ‘Obviously, I’m sure everybody’s heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN.

‘I found out this information a little earlier in the week, and really the only thing that I really asked is, “Guys, could we wait until Monday? My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I really want it to be about him and I want it to be about my family.”

‘I said, “This coming out will overshadow everything he’s worked his entire life for.” And unfortunately it didn’t happen that way.’

Sharpe’s younger brother, Sterling, was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at an enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio at the weekend, 14 years after his older sibling received the same honor.

Sterling, 60, spent all seven years of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, where he became a five-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro wide receiver while leading the league in receptions in three separate seasons. 

Shannon is a three-time Super Bowl champion who enjoyed two successful stints with the Denver Broncos and a brief spell with the Baltimore Ravens in his 13-year career.

After stressing that he ‘really enjoyed’ his time with ESPN and that he was ‘very, very grateful for the opportunity’, Sharpe stressed that he was disappointed to upstage his brother with the news of his axing.

‘They did what they felt they needed to do, and I’m at peace with that,’ he added about his now-former employers. ‘But I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday, because I hate the fact that I’ve overshadowed my brother.

‘The first two brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this is what the headline’s gonna be for the next few days.’