Stephen A. Smith calls out ESPN for firing former Commanders QB

Former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III addresses his Jackie Robinson comments in an exchange with Stephen A. Smith.

Feb 2, 2023; Henderson, NV, USA; Robert Griffin III during the Pro Bowl Skills competition at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Robert Griffin III, the former Washington Commanders quarterback turned ESPN analyst, recently had a challenging conversation with Stephen A. Smith on Outta Pocket with RGIII to address some lingering issues.

Griffin, who spent three seasons with the Commanders from 2012 to 2014, has received praise and criticism throughout his career. A major source of that criticism dates back to 2012 when sportswriter Rob Parker appeared on ESPN's First Take. Parker, then an ESPN employee, infamously called Griffin a "cornball brother" and questioned his Blackness.

Those comments have followed the former Washington quarterback ever since, giving a side-eye to his reputation. However, Griffin's recent criticism comes from his own remarks.

Stephen A. Smith on RG3,

"First of all let me say this, at first take you did a hell of a job.

Secondly, I think you are a talent on the airwaves. I don't know why others haven't gobbled you up.

Number 3, I didn't want you gone (from ESPN)." pic.twitter.com/VSVoXWDQW0

— Outta Pocket with RGIII (@OuttaPocketRG3) March 25, 2025

Griffin's comments surrounding the removal of a Jackie Robinson article from the United States Department of Defense's website — the article has since been restored on the website — rubbed some people the wrong way.

His argument that Robinson breaking the color barrier "in itself was not political" drew criticism from a few people, including ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, and further fueled the debate over the intersection of sports and politics.

"From one Black man to another, if you want to challenge my opinion on Jackie Robinson or how sports media operates, that's fair," Griffin said. "But when you spend two minutes on the point and eight minutes dragging my name through the mud, I disagree with that emphatically."

Despite the tension, Smith gave Griffin his flowers, calling him a "talent on the airwaves" and expressing surprise that other networks haven't tried to add them to their networks. Smith also made it clear that he never wanted Smith to leave the network.

Griffin was ultimately let go by ESPN last year, a move the network cited as a financial decision.

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