Stephen A. Smith with his hands near his head


Stephen A. Smith has expressed his disappointment with one of the newest NFL hires, suggesting there were racial factors at play.

The Washington Commanders named former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury their new offensive coordinator following a year during which he worked as an assistant coach at USC.

Initial reports claimed Kingsbury was getting hired by the Las Vegas Raiders. However, he shockingly withdrew himself from consideration before it was announced that he was heading to Washington.

Speaking on ‘First Take’ this Monday, Smith admitted that the recent head coaching cycle was kind to folks of color but claimed that Kingsbury’s being white is what allowed him to get such an opportunity after his failure with the Cardinals.

“We talk about diversity, and we certainly saw black coaches getting hired and all that other stuff. That’s not where I’m going. I’m saying from a historical perspective, we look at a guy like Kliff Kingsbury and you know what we see as black folks? This is the kind of stuff that don’t happen for black folks,” he said.

“It doesn’t seem to me there are bonafide football reasons as to why Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.”

Be that as it may, Kingsbury has respectable offensive credentials and is thought to be someone who could help a team draft Caleb Williams given his work with the Trojans quarterback over the past year.

The QB seemed happy with the appointment, taking to social media to stamp his approval.

The Commanders have the second-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and could be looking to move for Williams. They’re unlikely to get him at No. 2 but could trade up a spot in a deal with the Chicago Bears.