Shannon Sharpe Defends Tracy Morgan Not 'Turning A Cheek' To Homeless Man

Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe is defending Tracy Morgan against online critics who chastised the comedian for rebuking a homeless man who asked him for financial help.

According to Sharpe, who addressed the viral incident with his "Nightcap" co-host, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, Tracy Morgan had every right to dismiss the man who asked for help because of their alleged rocky past.

A clip of Morgan interacting with fans on January 21, 2026, has gone viral. In the video, Morgan signs autographs before being approached by a man named William.

"I remember you," Morgan told the man before angrily shutting down any request the individual attempted to make. "Don't talk to me like I owe you something."

Morgan's visceral response was sparked by their alleged troubled history. "You used to talk all that sh-t to me when we were younger," Morgan said. "You think I forgot?"

Morgan's interaction with the man has sparked mixed reactions.

In the comments on various Instagram posts that reshared the video, some social media users criticized Morgan's handling of the situation.

One user theorized that Morgan was being tested by the universe to see how he'd respond to someone in need. Another user argued that Morgan would've made an even bigger impact by still helping the man financially.

"Dang... I don't care what I remember," someone else wrote. "If you hungry, and I got it to help, [I will]."

"Unless that man messed with his family or him inappropriately...Tracy should REMEMBER he almost died..and God forgave him and gave him a second chance..with added wealth," another user shared. "It would have shown so much thanks to God if he could have gave that man a hot meal and even paid for him a room for a week so he could shower and get out the elements."

Other users, however, hold a completely different view, stating that Morgan was in the right to deny his alleged former bully money.

"If he didn’t forget since they was kids that means what he did was really bad," someone commented, while another said, "You can’t feel entitled to someone else’s success!!!"

"That was personal!!! It’s definitely a back story," another posted.

Former Denver Broncos player Shannon Sharpe also weighed in on the controversy on an episode of his "Nightcap" podcast, making it clear that he was on Morgan's side.

"Be careful of the toes you step on today," he said. "They might be connected to the foot, that leads to the leg, that's up to the behind that you gotta kiss tomorrow."

Sharpe clapped back at Morgan's critics, insisting they can't control the comedian's reaction or feelings regarding the man's request.

"Street committee — stop telling people what y'all would do when somebody did you wrong ... talk reckless to you," he said. "Somebody did you wrong when you were younger, you're not turning a cheek."

Sharpe's co-host, former Cincinnati Bengals player Ochocinco, echoed his sentiment, noting the man used to "bully" Morgan when they were younger, and now isn't the time to try and mooch off his success.

According to BET, Morgan was involved in a near-fatal car crash with a Walmart truck that claimed the life of his friend, Jimmy McNair, in 2014. The accident left the comedian with broken bones and brain trauma after being in a coma for two weeks.

Reports claim the comedian received a hefty payout following a legal battle with Walmart. However, in a previous interview, the performer said he found little solace in the money. In fact, he confessed he'd give it all away to have his friend back.

"I’d give it all back, if I could get him back. But that’s not gonna happen, so I gotta live on," he said.

A year after the accident, McNair's son, Jamel McNair, slammed Morgan in a social media post, implying the McNair family had a personal beef with Morgan.

"People don’t even know the half, this public figure that they have so much sympathy for and they know nothing about is put on a pedestal because he’s a d-mn celebrity. Being a celebrity doesn’t excuse you from human obligations," the post read.

"If I had a friend who died in an accident with me in the car … My best friend’s children would be the first ones I reach out to when they died," the post continued. "You take the Emmy stage and give a speech and tell jokes in front of thousands of people. But you don’t show up to celebrate the life of your best friend."

McNair's sister, Pamela, also spoke out about Morgan. "I understand it’s been a great ordeal for Tracy over the last 15 months. I just feel in some form or fashion, he should have acknowledged my brother — his mentor — because he lost his life," she said.