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
C.J. Stroud didn’t just beat the Steelers on the scoreboard -- he got the last laugh, too.
The Texans’ QB trolled supporters of the black and gold hard after Houston’s 30-6 playoff win Monday night ... jogging off the field with a grin and shouting “You mad?” while laughing as boos rained down from the stands.
Video of the scene shows Stroud soaking it all in as he heads toward the Acrisure Stadium tunnel, clearly enjoying the hostile environment after carving up the Steelers on their own turf.
Fans were hot ... but Stroud kept cool, flashing a smile.
Aaron Rodgers went to bat for his coach, Mike Tomlin, after the Pittsburgh Steelers' season ended in the Wild Card Round on Monday ... calling it an "absolute joke" to think the guy could get fired.
Rodgers met with the media following the Steelers' 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans, and despite it being Steel City's seventh playoff loss in a row, he can't wrap his head around the chatter Tomlin's tenure might be over.
"The way that the league is covered now, the way there is snap decisions and the validity given to the Twitter experts and all the experts on TV now who make it seem like they know what the hell they are talking about, to me that's an absolute joke," Rodgers said.
The Houston Texans picked up a massive victory over the Buffalo Bills to stay alive in the AFC South on Thursday ... and the winners celebrated accordingly -- by chowing down on a Western New York delicacy!!
The Texans shared their troll job on social media following their 23-19 victory ... saying they "love a good buffaLo wing."
Get it? The L is capitalized ... because Buffalo lost!!
Braxton Berrios and Alix Earle are celebrating a milestone in their relationship -- Tuesday marks two years since they became a couple -- and they commemorated the big day with some cute Instagram content!
The lovebirds took to their respective Instagram accounts to acknowledge 730 days around the sun. Berrios posted three pictures to his account ... writing, "2 years of laughter, happiness and loving every piece of you."
Daniel Jones' breakout season with the Colts isn't surprising everyone -- 'cause Texans star C.J. Stroudtells TMZ Sports sometimes all a good player needs is a change in scenery!
We recently spoke with the Pro Bowl quarterback about the Colts' signal caller ... who, after years with the Giants -- many of them a struggle -- is playing at an MVP-type level in Indianapolis.
"I think Daniel is a very talented guy, he's put a lot of good things on tape. When you build what you see in Indy with Jonathan Taylor, their offensive line, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, [Michael] Pittman, they got pieces around him, to help him, to take a lot of the load off him," Stroud said.
Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward is behind bars once again ... this time after his attorney claims he violated conditions of his bond stemming from the June incident in which he allegedly strangled his fiancée.
Ward -- who secured two interceptions last season -- was taken into custody Thursday night in Montgomery County, Texas on a warrant tied to a felony offense, jail records show.
Ward's lawyer, Steve Jackson, told TMZ Sports the NFL player was forced to spend the night in a cell after he tested positive for alcohol -- a violation of one of the stipulations of his bond.
Congratulations are in order for J.J. Wattand his wife, Kealia ... as the former all-pro defensive end and soccer star announced the birth of their second child -- Niko!!
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year shared the news on social media Tuesday ... introducing the world to their newest bundle of joy with a series of sweet photos where everyone -- including their firstborn, Koa -- was nothing but smiles.
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Congratulations are in order for J.J. Wattand his wife, Kealia ... the couple just announced they're expecting their second child!!
The Watts dropped the big news Monday afternoon ... showing off the former National Women's Soccer League player's baby bump as their son, Koa,gave it a peck.
Lucky enough to grab an NFL playoff ticket this month? Better come to the stadium hungry ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned a few teams are offering up some new items for the games -- and they're HUGE!!
The Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans are putting out three new dishes -- in partnership with Aramark Sports + Entertainment -- for their January games ... and each is probably going to take fans more than one fork to finish.
At Arrowhead Stadium,Travis Kelce supporters can get their hands on "Touchdown Toast" -- a massive French toast feast that includes berry sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's three-game suspension for his brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence is over ... and the the six-year NFL veteran revealed he met with commissioner Roger Goodell and other league higher-ups to own up to his actions and defend his character while serving his punishment.
The 27-year-old released a statement on X ahead of Houston's Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans ... in which he stated his play on the former No. 1 overall pick and the fight that ensued "was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me."
Struggling to come up with food ideas for Beyoncé's Christmas Day halftime show? Fear not ... celeb chef Andrew Zimmern is offering up some snack hacks to help you crush it at the Dec. 25 party!!
The host of "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" tells TMZ Sports ... the real key is variety.
According Zimmern, there will be two types of people at Yoncé's concert -- ones who will be glued to the TV ... and the others who will enjoy the audio while making their way to the food table.
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell won't play again this season -- and he might miss 2025 too -- as his coach just revealed he sustained a dislocated knee and a torn ACL during Saturday's game against the Chiefs.
DeMeco Ryans just announced the news to media members ... explaining Dell also damaged "some other things" in his knee after he collided with his teammate following a touchdown catch in the loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
DeMeco Ryans says that Tank Dell tore his ACL while dislocating he knee cap and “some other thing there that he’ll have to get repaired”
Ryans said Dell will have surgery soon -- and while there's been no timeline for a return just yet, the injury usually takes a full year to come back from.
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell had to be carted off the field Saturday ... after suffering a bad injury while catching a touchdown pass.
The Houston standout was playing in Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs ... running a deep route into the endzone early in the second half of the game.
Texans WR Tank Dell is going to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury after scoring on this play:
Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a perfect pass to Dell, falling right into his arms ... but, his teammate Jared Wayne was right next to him and dove for the ball -- his body slamming full force into Dell's leg.
Taylor Swift is feeling the holiday spirit ... dressing up in a bright red furry coat while arriving at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to support her man.
The singer-songwriter pulled up to the Chiefs game against the Houston Texans just a little while ago ... stepping out of the customary golf cart looking like Mrs. Claus in the coat and black bucket hat.
She looks real warm in her ensemble ... good news since it's currently just 33 degrees in Kansas City -- and expected to get even chillier as the day goes on.
NFL fans looking to Texas Hold some Beyoncé-themed cocktails during her halftime performance on Christmas Day are in luck ... TMZ Sports has learned Houston will be selling drinks with Yoncé flair in honor of her much-anticipated show.
Aramark Sports + Entertainment -- which has provided football fanatics with goodies at Texans games throughout this season -- tells us four specialty drinks paying homage to Beyoncé will be available for purchase at NRG Stadium during Houston's Dec. 25 tilt with the Ravens.
The first is called the "Texan Honey" -- and it's a mix of whiskey, lemon juice, honey syrup and ginger beer that will all come mixed in a souvenir cup.