Stephen A. Smith’s blunder on live TV goes viral involving major slip-up of Christian Kirk and Charlie Kirk following Texans playoff win

Popular broadcaster Stephen A. Smith found himself in an awkward position on Tuesday during ESPN’s “First Take,” when a simple slip of the tongue quickly went viral. Smith was giving a breakdown of a dominant Houston Texans playoff performance, primarily that of Christian Kirk. However, instead of uttering that name, he made an error and referred to him as Charlie Kirk,

Smith was reacting to the Texans’ convincing 30-6 Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game that showcased Houston’s growing confidence on the postseason stage. Smith, who is known for his passion and fast-paced delivery, and thus this confusion came as a surprise to his o-hosts who jumped in to correct him, leading to him apologizing soon after.

A Texans breakdown from Smith turned into an unexpected viral moment

While praising wide receiver Christian Kirk for his standout night, Smith accidentally referred to him as “Charlie Kirk.” The mistake went unnoticed by Smith at first, but his co-hosts quickly jumped in and pointed out his tongue slip. Once it clicked, Smith immediately began apologizing on air, saying, “I’m sorry, I apologize. Oh, my God, I meant Christian Kirk.”


Kirk delivered one of the best performances of his career this season, hauling in eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown to help eliminate Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. His effort now sets the stage for a high-stakes AFC divisional matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday, January 18, as Houston continues its Super Bowl push.

For Smith, however, the name slip added to his list of memorable on-air errors, including a notable slip-up involving his beloved New York Knicks earlier this season. Another rough night for ESPN was another blunder during the same Texans-Steelers broadcast involving Houston safety Jimmie Ward.

In September 2025, Smith praised the New York Yankees’ tribute for Kirk before their game, saying, “Props to the New York Yankees organization last night for having a moment of silence. We’re not supposed to condone stuff like this. We’re not supposed to say it’s OK.” The gesture was also met with similar sentiments from fans at the time.

Also read: What did Stephen A. Smith say about Renee Good shooting that made Keith Olbermann demand ESPN fire him right away