Tavia Hunt just entered the chat—and she’s not alone! The Chiefs’ queen herself is making waves off-field, joining forces with Sage Steele and Riley Gaines to back up Samantha Ponder after ESPN’s stunning firing. 

The heat started when former ESPN host Steele took to Instagram, calling out the network for letting go of sports commentator Samantha Ponder. “So, it’s been a couple of hours since I saw the news that ESPN decided to fire Samantha Ponder for cascading reasons,” Steele said. “I need to make sure you all know who Sam Ponder is. You’ve watched her for years, and she’s an incredible talent, but that’s the least important thing. This woman is so strong!” 

Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs’ $2B CEO Clark Hunt jumped in quick, showing love for these badass women. She re-shared Steele’s reel on her IG story, captioning, “I adore and support these women!”

American swimmer Gaines didn’t hold back either, taking a direct shot at ESPN in a tweet. She pointed out the timing, calling out the network for firing Ponder, the only woman who openly stood up against men competing in women’s sports. “So ESPN fires @samponder, the only woman at the network who publicly said men don’t belong in women’s sports. 3 weeks before football season?” she tweeted. With football season just around the corner, Gaines wasn’t buying that it was just coincidence. She also threw some love to Ponder and Steele, calling them two of the most genuine women she’s ever known.

It all blew up when ESPN dropped the hammer on Ponder—one of their biggest names. Since 2011, she worked her way up to host Sunday NFL Countdown, after years of grinding on Saturday Night Football and College GameDay. But even her $3M deal (with two years left) couldn’t save her from the cut. 

Robert Griffin III was also let go from the network. The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL QB was hired in 2021 as a football analyst and most recently appeared on Monday Night Countdown. His seven-figure salary, like Ponder’s, will still be honored despite the firings.

With Steele, Gaines, and now Hunt backing her up, Ponder’s firing has sparked a bigger conversation. Was this purely a financial move, or something deeper? 

Why Samantha Ponder was fired?

Per The Athletic’s reports, budget cuts were the official reason why Ponder was fired. But here’s where it gets tricky: the 38-year-old had been in a limited role, hosting the weekly NFL preview show Sunday NFL Countdown. With Joe Buck and Troy Aikman raking it in for Monday Night Football, the network was cutting down the roster—and Ponder’s seven-figure pay made her an easy target.

But that’s not the whole story. Ponder stirred the pot online, sparking controversy over her outspoken views on trans women in sports. Her latest firestorm? Criticizing gold medal boxer Imane Khelif during the 2024 Olympics. That didn’t sit well with the network’s image (or its audience).

Plus, she made waves by publicly slamming the network for airing a Barstool-branded show, pointing fingers at Dave Portnoy’s past. For ESPN, keeping only the top-tier stars became the priority, and unfortunately for Ponder, the combination of her limited airtime and fiery tweets meant game over.