The NFL’s annual awards night, typically a celebration of the league’s brightest stars, instead sparked an unfortunate controversy and widespread backlash this year. The NFL Honors ceremony came under fire after the league chose to feature comedians Druski and Tiffany Haddish, with many viewers criticizing the awkward moments during presentations involving Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel.

Druski, with NFL legend Barry Sanders, was assigned to announce Smith-Njigba’s name off the cue card, but the comedian made a catastrophic mistake. Instead of saying “Njigba,” he called out his name as a racial slur. Druski then made it worse by repeating his mistake.

“The winner decided not to pull up tonight, so I guess on his behalf, Jaxon Smith-N***ba. JSN,” Druski said.

As the internet comedian made these errors, Sanders visibly looked frustrated before calling out the Seattle star’s name with the proper pronunciation. The comment by Druski also led to immediate backlash, as the Seattle Seahawks‘ X account issued a statement condemning the comedian.

“Hall of Famer Barry Sanders drew the short straw, getting stuck with Druski’s big whiff tonight,” Seahawks PR posted on X. “Put some respect on Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s name.”

This response from the Seahawks’ PR account is warranted, as this was one of the biggest moments of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s young career after he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards in 17 games. Furthermore, the name also holds a deeper meaning for the young wideout.

The name symbolizes his relationship with his late grandfather, John, who came to the United States from Sierra Leone in the 1970s with the surname Njigba. Jaxon and his grandfather were extremely close until his passing in 2014, which prompted the Seahawks star to add Smith-Njigba to the back of his high school football jersey.

On the other hand, Mike Vrabel also found himself in a similar situation, as comedian Tiffany Haddish pronounced his name ‘Verbal’ instead of ‘Vray-bull,’ as he won the Coach of the Year award. The New England Patriots‘ head coach took home the honor in his first year in Foxborough, leading his former franchise to the Super Bowl after winning the division and the conference with a dominant 14-3 season. While this mistake wasn’t as controversial as the one made by Druski, it still came across as clearly disrespectful.

These mishaps immediately sparked outrage across social media platforms. Football fans and media personalities alike criticized the NFL for what many deemed an avoidable embarrassment during one of the league’s premier events.

Fans call out the NFL after error-filled honors night

While fans celebrated every winner from the NFL’s 15th annual awards night, many also called out the league for its disappointing treatment of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Mike Vrabel, as comedians Druski and Tiffany Haddish mispronounced their names.

“Druski lame,” Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu posted after the ceremony. Similarly, Gee Scott Sr., host of the Seahawks’ gameday, also criticized the comedian.

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“That’s that young man’s name! YOU NEVER PLAY WITH SOMEONE’S NAME!. Especially in a moment like that. Hey Druski, you got ya bread, but hope you learn from this.”

A fan also shared a similar sentiment as he tweeted, “Was that Druski bit supposed to be funny? Because it wasn’t. And I feel bad for Barry Sanders being up there during it.”

Alongside Druski, Tiffany Haddish also faced backlash for her mistake, with the Patriots fan army scrutinizing her. One fan tweeted, “Get Tiffany Haddish off this stage at the NFL honors man 🙄🙄🙄.”

Furthermore, one frustrated supporter also listed all the issues he had with the NFL Honors night as they shared a long tweet.

“Here are all the cringiest moments of the NFL Honors 2026. Fake crowd noise throughout the broadcast. Madden clips presented as real highlights. Tiffany Haddish announcing “Mike Verbal. Roger “Rog DMC” Goodell, the DJ. Druski called JSN WHAT? The NFL should rethink this event.”

Overall, according to the fans, the league must take immediate action to prevent future award winners from having their achievements overshadowed by such embarrassing errors. What are your thoughts on it?