Sharpe was issued a restraining order last week by a court in Atlanta. On Wednesday, the order was withdrawn and a court hearing Monday was cancelled. A woman had obtained the court order from a judge by alleging Sharpe had forced her into having sex, threatened her life and stalked her.

Sharpe was reinstated by CBS Sports on Wednesday.

"The NFL Today" addressed the episode to start its show, taking only 28 seconds to acknowledge the issue and to put it to rest.

"Before we get started, during the week Shannon decided to step down from 'The NFL Today' until a legal matter was resolved in a Fulton County, Georgia, court," host James Brown said.

"On Wednesday, that order was dismissed. Shannon, what can you tell us about where things stand now?"

Sharpe used virtually the same words he used in a statement issued through the network after he was reinstated.

"I had every expectation that based on fact and truth alone these claims would never reach a court," Sharpe said. "This issue was dismissed in its totality. No money or communications were exchanged. I look forward to getting back to work."

Sharpe, an energetic presence on the show, seemed a bit subdued, at least in the first half of the show on Sunday. But he looked and sounded much more high-spirited in the second half.