But Stephen A. Smith is very, very passionate about the fact that the Vikings made a mistake in letting Sam Darnold walk away in free agency. This is when Stephen A. Smith was asked if the Vikings should bring Darnold back following that loss to the Rams in the playoffs. Interviewer: “So, Stephen, you’re saying the move is to go with J.J. McCarthy?” Smith: “I’m saying, sure. Seriously, January 2025 Stephen A. Smith needs to have a serious sit-down with February 2026 Stephen A. Smith so that they can get their stories straight, because one of them is speaking with their mouth while the other appears to be using a completely separate orifice. You don’t get to be retroactively pissed off or annoyed that the Minnesota Vikings did what the Minnesota Vikings were largely expected to do.

Source: New York Times February 10, 2026 11:06 UTC