Stephen A. Smith hasn’t enjoyed a smooth stretch lately in his professional life. And NFL fans are making sure that the analyst is reminded about it by adding some more ire.
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Last week, the ESPN First Take analyst went viral for saying that credit for the Patriots’ defensive solidity this season goes to DC Terrell Williams. This would have been a completely unproblematic statement if Williams had not left his Patriots role in Week 2 of the season after getting diagnosed with prostate cancer.
And on Monday, barely hours after New England beat the Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game, Smith’s earlier skepticism about Stefon Diggs has resurfaced, with fans expressing their anger toward the analyst. Before the 2025 season kicked off, Stephen A. had questioned Diggs’ decision to join New England after stints with Buffalo and Houston.
On air, Smith wondered aloud whether the move made any football sense at all. “You go from Josh Allen to C.J. Stroud to Drake, man,” he had said back then.
“You sure about that? I just think there’s a legitimate question to ask… Because no matter what you are as a receiver, it don’t mean a damn thing if the quarterback can’t get you the pass,” Smith added.
The receipts are coming in. pic.twitter.com/MHxsA2xSoD
— JPA (@jasrifootball) January 26, 2026
At the time, it sounded like a familiar Stephen A. Smith take: Loud, skeptical, and confident. But now, fans are replaying that clip with a heavy dose of irony.
The New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl after running through C.J. Stroud’s Texans, Josh Allen’s Bills, and Sean Payton’s Broncos in the playoffs. And two of the biggest reasons for this run have been Diggs and his quarterback, Drake Maye.
The Patriots QB is entering the Super Bowl after wrapping up an MVP-caliber sophomore season, leading the league in passer rating (113.5), completion percentage (72.0%), and total QBR (77.1). He guided New England to a stunning 14-3 record after a near-bottom finish the year before.
The Patriots also tied an NFL record with a 10-win improvement this season, going from a 4-13 record to 14-3. They jumped to second in points per game after languishing near the league’s basement in 2024.
And Diggs? Far from being held back, the veteran wideout has become Maye’s most reliable weapon in terms of production and availability. Playing all 17 regular-season games, Diggs led New England in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,013), silencing “washed” talk that followed him after a torn ACL ended his Texans stint early in the 2024 season.
The contrasting way the season turned out for both the players compared to Smith’s prediction is why fans have dug up his words to make fun of him.
“Stephen A Smith is a disgrace,” wrote one user on X. “We know Stephen A doesn’t know ball bro,” added another. “Makes millions of dollars, btw,” sarcastically chimed in a third.
Amid the hate, however, there was one fan who cut Smith some slack. “Everybody thinks they know how it’s all gonna play out, but at the end of the day, you have to put the ball on the ground and snap it!!! I love what Maye, Diggs n the Pats are doing!!!” said the X user.
To be fair to Stephen A. Smith, doubting Diggs’ move to a Patriots side that finished 3-14 with a lacklustre Maye at the helm isn’t really a hot take. But as the adage goes, when it rains, it pours.
