Stephen A. Smith Makes Commanders Hiring Kliff Kingsbury About Race

Stephen A. Smith decided to turn the Washington Commanders hiring Kliff Kingsbury into a race issue.

The Commanders hired Kingsbury after stealing him away at the 11th hour from the Raiders. Kingsbury is known in the NFL for being an offensive and QB guru. With the second pick in the draft, the Commanders will be able to score a solid QB prospect, and they're trusting Kingsbury to develop that player.

Whether it's a good hire or not is debatable, but why the Commanders did it isn't hard to figure out……unless you're Stephen A. Smith. Then it's just about his skin color giving him unfair advantages.

Stephen A. Smith makes the Commanders hiring Kliff Kingsbury about race. (Credit: Joe Rondone-Arizona Republic via USA Today Sports Network)

Stephen A. Smith plays race card after Commanders hire Kliff Kingsbury.

"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," Stephen A. said Monday on "First Take."

He added, "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."

You can watch his full comments below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

This is a truly bizarre take from Stephen A. Smith, and it makes me wonder if he actually watches football or not. If he did, then he'd know exactly why Kingsbury was hired.

The Commanders are hoping like hell they can find a way to get Caleb Williams. If not, they'll likely draft Drake Maye. Either way, the team is going to get a great young QB.

What does Kingsbury have a proven record of doing? Molding and developing QBs. Kingsbury most notably oversaw the development of Patrick Mahomes and Johnny Manziel during their time in college, and spent time with Case Keenum and Baker Mayfield. All four were great college QBs. He also served as an analyst for USC with Caleb Williams under center.

Stephen A. Smith makes Commanders hiring Kliff Kingsbury about race. (Credit: USA Today Sports Network)

Given his ability to develop passers at the college level, it's not hard to understand why the Commanders and the Raiders both wanted him.

Now, was he a good head coach with the Cardinals? No. The team struggled, and Murray wasn't always the easiest to deal with. However, the idea this is a race issue is comical.

It's not. It's simple Xs and Os, and the Commanders believe Kingsbury is a proven commodity when it comes to QB development. The man made Johnny Manziel a superstar, and he was never the same once Kingsbury wasn't with him. Did Stephen A. Smith even bother looking up Kingsbury's coaching history?

Will Kliff Kingsbury be a success with the Commanders? (Credit: Arizona Republic via USA Today Sports Network)

Now, could Kingsbury flame out with the Commanders? Sure. Could he also be a huge hit with a young QB? Absolutely. Either way, it has nothing to do with race. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.