“DEI Hire”: Mina Kimes Faces Fans’ Wrath As Geno Smith Trade Take Resurfaces After Sam Darnold’s NFCCG Win

Sam Darnold’s turn from mediocre quarterback to Super Bowl contender has been one of the most interesting storylines of the 2025 season. Back in early 2025, when the Seattle Seahawks swapped Geno Smith for Darnold, it seemed like the wrong choice.

ESPN’s Mina Kimes seemed to think so at the time, and there is plenty of evidence to demonstrate so, as a recent tweet from a fan shows. It didn’t prevent fans from lambasting the ESPN reporter for being wrong.

“50% of ESPN,” joked someone.

“DEI hire,” said one person.

“Hey, she admitted she was wrong, and took accountability. She’s a Seahawks fan and expressed her opinion as one. Have you ever gotten it wrong? I doubt you’d have the balls to admit it. Coward,” explained another person.

“She’s probably the worst “sports analyst” on tv. She’s so awful. And an anti American liberal piece of shit,” said someone getting a bit political.

“She is clueless. I change the channel when she comes on,” wrote one fan.

A few fans did side with Mina Kimes.

“At the time it wasn’t a bad take (it wasn’t a take I would have made), Sam and the Vikes had just crashed in the playoffs, while Geno was a middle of the road (but proven in that Seahawks system) quarterback. Oh well, life goes on,” wrote one fan.

“Sam darnold sucks, the first 15 plays of script make him look good but when his fist read isnt there he gets happy feet, you see his eyes, his passing timing is thrown off, and hes bad in the pocket. Hes literally the same bust from the jets hes just got good coaches,” explained someone else.

Did the Seahawks get lucky?

“Mina was 100% correct. The chances of the Seahawks upgrading WERE extremely low. They managed to do it,” said someone.

Sam Darnold Replies To His Critics After The NFC Championship Victory

Sam Darnold knows fully well he isn’t the most popular quarterback in the NFL. He seems to have admitted as much in the aftermath of the NFC Championship win, telling off his naysayers as he received the George Halas Trophy:

“That doesn’t matter to me,” Darnold said of his critics after handing off the George Halas Trophy to his teammates. “These guys in this locker room, that’s what it’s about to me, man. We’ve come to work ever since April, the OTAs, training camp, one day at a time and we’re here and we did it.”

He will have the ultimate chance to prove his critics wrong in the upcoming Super LX, when the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8.