A live TV moment involving Stephen A. Smith quickly turned into a social media pile-on, after the longtime ESPN voice made an on-air mistake that viewers immediately flagged.
Ain’t no way this is real 😭 pic.twitter.com/qZouk0LWFm
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 24, 2026
The slip happened during a recent episode of First Take, when Smith was discussing the New England Patriots and their defense. In his commentary, Smith praised defensive coach Terrell Williams, noting his reunion with head coach Mike Vrabel and crediting him for overseeing a unit ranked among the league’s best.
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The problem, as many fans were quick to point out, is that Terrell Williams has been away from the team for much of the season while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Because the clip circulated rapidly online, the error didn’t go unnoticed, and criticism followed almost instantly.
Among those reacting was Dave Portnoy, who shared the clip and summed up his disbelief in a short post, writing, “Ain’t no way this is real.” The comment gained traction as it spread across X and other platforms, adding fuel to an already growing discussion about the moment.
Of course this is nothing new. In 2018 SAS told everyone the big players to watch in a Chargers/Chiefs matchup were Spencer Ware and Derrick Johnson. Neither were playing that night https://t.co/mtbDUo1CqI
— trey wingo (@wingoz) January 24, 2026
Former ESPN host Trey Wingo also weighed in, using the incident to recall a previous on-air gaffe by Smith. Wingo pointed to a 2018 broadcast in which Smith highlighted players who weren’t even active for the game in question.
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“Of course this is nothing new,” Wingo wrote, referencing the earlier Chargers-Chiefs matchup. “Neither were playing that night.”