Veteran sports commentator Stephen A. Smith has been in the news for comments ahead of the New England Patriots’ championship game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Ahead of Sunday’s contest, Smith praised the Patriots’ defense, singling out defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. However, Smith’s comment raised eyebrows on social media, as Williams has not been with the team for large parts of the season due to his cancer diagnosis in September.

Political analyst Jon Root pointed out Smith’s error by sharing a video from the segment and captioning it:

“Terrell Williams (brother) hasn’t coach this season due to prostate cancer. Zak Kuhr, who’s white, has been the interim DC. First Take is so stupid🤦🏼‍♂️”

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Smith fired back at the criticism in an X post, writing:

“Nice try! First of all, we reported earlier in the year that he was out due to prostate cancer when it happened. Secondly, he still talks to coaches for game-planning purposes.

“Thirdly, forgetting to mention all of that is different than not knowing –plus it really doesn’t matter when I’ve got experts like Ryan Clark and Cam backing me up. But keep pushing the story. Hope it gets the clicks folks want. Carry on!”

Root continued his criticism of the ESPN analyst in a follow-up to Smith’s post, writing:

“Your credibility, as is ESPN’s, is in the toilet. We’re sick of the race-baiting & nonsensical debates solely for clicks & controversy. First Take is a disgrace to sports media, and the fact that you’re the highest-paid sports media figure shows how far the industry has fallen.

“Just take accountability, admit you were wrong, apologize for making this about race, and go play some solitaire.”

Jason Whitlock slams Stephen A. Smith for his comments on “First Take”

Stephen A. Smith’s comments on “First Take” also drew backlash from fellow analyst Jason Whitlock, who wrote on X:

“Worst part is the sports media writers who all pretend SAS is a valuable resource. They help sell the lie that SAS is entertaining and a ratings draw. What they’re really saying is black people are so dumb that ESPN has no choice but to entertain them with a minstrel show.”