Sage may Steele morning gig at ESPN

After appearing to be brushed aside by ESPN, Sage Steele may instead be launched to the top of the network’s studio lineup.

Steele, who was recently replaced by Michelle Beadle as host of “NBA Countdown” on ESPN and ABC, is expected to land a bigger and better role with the Worldwide Leader in Sports as a morning anchor on “SportsCenter,” according to Sporting News.

Steele, who currently hosts “SportsCenter on the Road,” may also join Mike Greenberg on his new solo morning show on ESPN, though her exact role on the New York-based “Greeny & Friends”-type program is unknown, per the report.

ESPN declined comment to the Daily News on Monday.

The network previously attempted to recruit Fox Sports 1’s Katie Nolan to team with Greenberg following his 17-year run with co-host Mike Golic on “Mike & Mike in the Morning” on ESPN 2. But Steele seems to be coming out on top, despite controversy surrounding recent social media comments.

The 44-year-old, who has been with ESPN for a decade, drew ire from many on the internet after complaining in an Instagram post about crowds at Los Angeles International Airport protesting President Trump’s travel ban in January.

“So THIS is why thousands of us dragged luggage nearly 2 miles to get LAX, but still missed our flights,” Steele wrote in a caption. “... I love witnessing people exercise their right to protest! But it saddened me to see the joy on their faces knowing that they were successful in disrupting so many people’s travel plans. Yes, immigrants were affected by this as well. Brlliant. us (sic)”

In February, Steele drew criticism after she said that “the worst racism I have received [as a biracial woman married to a white man], and I mean thousands and thousands over the years, is from black people, who in my mind thought would be the most accepting because there has been that experience.”

Steele also ripped Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans for kneeling during the national anthem, and cut off an interview with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler when he began to discuss politics after last year’s celebrity All-Star Game.

Rumors swirled about Steele’s future with ESPN after she was demoted from “NBA Countdown” just two weeks before the start of the NBA playoffs. But ESPN president John Skipper quickly issued a statement in which he expressed his confidence in her.

“Sage definitely has a bright and long-term future at ESPN and my complete support,” Skipper said.