Stephen A. Smith Apologizes to Kyrie Irving, Draws Praise From Aaron Rodgers

Overview

• Stephen A. Smith publicly apologized to Kyrie Irving for his 2021 criticism, and he described Irving’s stance at the time as wrongly judged, a shift Smith made public on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
• Smith told viewers that watching Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoke the Fifth Amendment at a recent Senate hearing prompted him to rethink early pandemic messaging and media responses.
• Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers praised Smith’s admission on The Pat McAfee Show, calling Smith “not a coward” and using the appearance to question Fauci’s testimony.
• Smith broadened his apology to other sports figures who faced criticism over vaccine decisions, naming Aaron Rodgers, Novak Djokovic, Bryson DeChambeau, and Conor McGregor as examples.
• The reversal has renewed debate about media responsibility and athlete autonomy, and it reopened memory of how Kyrie Irving’s 2021 vaccine refusal forced him to miss Nets home games under New York City policy and cost him salary.