WATCH: Stephen A. Smith Completely Goes Off Amid Aaron Rodgers Contract Drama, Blasts the Idea He Should Be Scared to Face Top QBs

“Y’all got me to my Ric Flair mode,” Stephen A. Smith announced on ESPN’s First Take Monday, as he donned a pair of shades signaling he was about to go off. Sure enough, Smith soon made good, and delivered an utterly devastating rant.

The target was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. With just days before NFL free agency opens, the future Hall of Famer has not yet made a decision about his plans for 2022.

One rumored landing spot for Rodgers, should he spurn the Packers, is the Denver Broncos — who have a good deal of young talent on both sides of the ball. Yet one possible drawback for Rodgers might be the fact that the Broncos play in the AFC west, where he would potentially do battle with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, young star Justin Herbert, and strong veteran Derek Carr.

Smith blasted the notion that Rodgers should be skittish about challenging those top signal callers.

“TO BE THE MAN, YOU’VE GOT TO BEAT THE MAN, OK?!” Smith said, dialing it up to an 11. “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT PATRICK MAHOMES, JUSTIN HERBERT, DEREK CARR BEING IN THE [AFC] WEST! YOU KNOW WHY?! BECAUSE I’M SUPPOSED TO BE THAT DUDE! THAT’S WHY! WOOOOOOOOO! TO BE THE MAN, YOU GOT TO BEAT THE MAN! AND THAT’S WHAT AARON RODGERS IS SUPPOSED TO BE!”

The ESPN host added, “The fact that Aaron Rodgers, anybody thinks he’s supposed to hesitate to be a part of the AFC, it doesn’t matter! When you’re that man, when you’re that man, it’s not supposed to matter where you’re at, who you represent, because I’m not about anybody else! It’s supposed to be about you!”

Watch above, via ESPN.