Stephen A. Smith Mistakenly Calls Texans WR 'Charlie Kirk,' Instantly Apologizes
Stephen A. Smith We Saw Charlie Kirk Catch 8 Balls ... OMG, I Mean Christian
Published
Stephen A. Smith was on the ESPN airwaves Tuesday morning when he had quite the slip of the tongue while breaking down the Texans' playoff win over the Steelers ... mistakenly referring to Houston's star wide receiver as Charlie Kirk.
"We saw Charlie Kirk catch 8 receptions for 144 yards," SAS said on "First Take," before host Shae Cornette corrected him.
"I'm sorry. Christian. I apologize. I apologize. Oh my God. Christian Kirk," Stephen A. quickly responded.
"We saw Charlie Kirk catch 8 receptions for 144 yards…I apologize. Oh my God. Christian Kirk" – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/PPQXMjXFEr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 13, 2026 @awfulannouncing
Clearly, Smith meant no harm by what he said -- the guy spends hours and hours talking each week, and mistakes happen.
Of course, Charlie, who was tragically assassinated in September, was one of the most talked-about people in the country last year, so it's no surprise his name would be on Stephen A.'s mind.
As for the Kirk he intended to talk about, Christian had a hell of a great game, catching 8 balls for 144 yards, including multiple jaw-dropping big plays in the Texans' 30-6 rout of the Steelers.
The rest of the show went off without a hitch. It's unclear if SAS intends to address the flub again, or just keep it pushin'.
