Natalie Morales Rumored to Leave ‘Today’ if Savannah Guthrie Gets Co-Host Gig

arrives at The Weinstein Company And Relativity Media's 2011 Golden Globe Awards Party held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on January 16, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (2011 Getty Images)

Veteran journalist Natalie Morales might be telling the 'Today' show to take a hike if she is not offered the co-host gig with Matt Lauer on the popular morning show, The New York Post is reporting.

Morales, who is Puerto Rican and Brazilian, is technically next in line to take over as No. 2 after media giant NBC reportedly decided to let go of their current co- host, Ann Curry due to a ratings plunge. The show was the top morning show for 852 weeks, until ABC's "Good Morning America" broke their winning streak in April.

The New York Times is reporting that the show's third-hour anchor, Savannah Guthrie, was offered the job as co-host.

If Morales is passed over for the job, which she has reportedly sought for years, she's leaving, a source told the New York Post.

For now, Guthrie has kept mum about the job offer.

Morales has been with the "Today" show since 2006. She was named as a possible candidate to replace Meredith Vieira when she stepped down as co-anchor last year. This time around, her name has been mentioned but most of speculation as to who will be offered the job has centered around Guthrie and Hoda Gotb, who co-hosts the show's fourth hour.

"This will be the second time [Natalie] has been passed over for the top job. And she's not happy," the source told the Post.

When NBC Universal was contacted they said the rumors about Morales' departure were "totally untrue."

"Natalie couldn't be happier in her current role," another source told the New York Post.

After a year on the job, Curry is said to be leaving the "Today" show on Friday.

The New York Post says NBC has been working around the clock, in the hopes of coming up with a severance package for Curry, who currently banks $10 million a year.