{"id":875255,"date":"2026-10-08T15:12:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T15:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/875255\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T15:12:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T15:12:23","slug":"stephen-a-smith-walks-back-lane-johnson-mental-health-critique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/875255\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith walks back Lane Johnson mental health critique"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lane Johnson, an all-time great right tackle, announced his retirement<\/a> from the NFL on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Eagles had listed Johnson as inactive<\/a>, citing personal reasons, for their Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season,\u201d Johnson wrote, in part, in his lengthy statement<\/a> posted to his social media channels. \u201cBut after a lot of reflection, I\u2019ve realized that my personal and family priorities have changed. Right now it is critical that I focus on my mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Wednesday morning, ESPN\u2019s\u00a0First Take\u00a0dedicated time to the abrupt end to Johnson\u2019s 14-season career by asking how much trouble the Eagles are in without him moving forward.<\/p>\n

Stephen A. Smith gave a meandering, insensitive monologue that appeared to not only question the validity of Johnson\u2019s mental health struggles, but to make everyone else at the desk uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow he calls it quits, not before the season. Not in the offseason\u2026four games into the 2026 season, a dude that has been in the league forever, sits back and says I need to focus on my mental health\u201d \u2013 Stephen A. Smith on Lane Johnson retiring https:\/\/t.co\/itUSL5LrVt<\/p>\n

\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cA running game that was virtually non-impressive, at the very least, to begin with, and now, Saquon Barkley\u2019s got a hamstring injury,\u201d Smith said. \u201cA passing game that wasn\u2019t that great to begin with. You lost A.J. Brown. DeVonta Smith, now he gets injured. Nine starters you finish the [Week 4] game without, and now, the brother sat up there \u2014 one of the all-time greats as an offensive line \u2014 and what did he do, Shae [Cornette]? What did he do, Jordan [Rodgers]?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went like this, \u2018You know what? I\u2019m gonna call it quits,’\u201d Smith continued. \u201cNow, he calls it quits. Not before the season. Not in the offseason. Oh, no, no, no, no! After being subjected to this, he said, \u2018Life is a little bit too short. I need to focus\u2019 \u2014 what did he say? His mental health? Am I making it up?\u201d<\/p>\n

The camera panned over to Kimberley A. Martin, who remained silent but whose facial expression said it all. After badgering from Smith, Rodgers confirmed that Johnson did, in fact, cite his mental health. The vibes at the desk were palpably awkward, but Smith was undeterred.<\/p>\n

\u201cFour games into the 2026 season, a dude that has been in the league forever, sits back and says, \u2018I need to focus on my mental health,’\u201d Smith said, bordering on outright laughing at Johnson. \u201cAs an offensive tackle, Lord, you know it\u2019s bad. There\u2019s no way [if] you\u2019re undefeated, you\u2019re winning football games, you\u2019re thriving, everybody\u2019s got Super Bowl in their sights, [that] you walk away. You walk away because it\u2019s a very, very, very bad situation, and it doesn\u2019t look to be getting any better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith pivoted into a full-on mocking tone to conclude by saying, \u201cAnd this brother said, \u2018Hey, my life matters. It\u2019s time. I\u2019m gonna call it quits. My mental health. My mental.\u2019 Lord! That\u2019s trouble for the Philadelphia Eagles, and everybody in the City of Brotherly Love knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin gently jumped in once Smith finally stopped talking, saying, \u201cAgreed. Um, Lane had contemplated retirement for a while, right? So, I\u2019m not surprised. I feel like you\u2019re making light of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m making light?\u201d Smith responded, shocked at that assessment, and Martin clarified, \u201cLike, oh, playing with this team is what has sent him and said, \u2018Oh, I can\u2019t do this anymore.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Moments later, Smith realized he had stepped in it and walked back his commentary on Johnson\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me be very, very clear and specific about what I\u2019m saying, I would never make light of mental health issues\u201d \u2013 Stephen A. Smith https:\/\/t.co\/S7V0dV8N60<\/p>\n

\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get a bit serious for a second, because Kimberley brought up [\u2026] making light of the situation,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI appreciate the look-out. Thank you very much. Let me be very, very clear and specific about what I\u2019m saying: I would never make light of mental health issues. I\u2019m making light of the Philadelphia Eagles\u2019 trashy situation right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith continued:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am saying to you that the Philadelphia Eagles, their situation is so chaotic, so haphazard, it\u2019s not worth it to a lot of people. This is a guy that hasn\u2019t allowed a sack or a quarterback hit in the three games he\u2019s played this year. When you talk about him, and what he brings to the table as a right tackle, he\u2019s considered one of the elite \u2014 one of the top 3 \u2014 in the National Football League.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of how many times he\u2019s contemplated retirement, he made a decision to come back this season. Usually, NFL players, when they make a decision to come back, they\u2019re married to it for that year. [\u2026] To be in Week 4, approaching Week 5, and you choose to walk away, that\u2019s about the Eagles. That is what I am talking about. Not him and his mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m saying this is the situation that the Eagles could drive you to, because the stress ain\u2019t worth it. This is what people don\u2019t understand about this.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you out there, and you\u2019re putting your behind on the line on the football field \u2014 listen, you\u2019ve got coaches, you\u2019ve got people who ain\u2019t getting hit, who can\u2019t take the stress that comes with being in the National Football League.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when things are a mess, it can nosedive real quick, and it can sink your entire world. And I think the Eagles, how chaotic they have been, have the potential to do that to a human being. I\u2019ma be clear. Did I stutter? Are we clear now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironic that Lane Johnson\u2019s retirement would come days before the #Eagles were to return to London to play a game for the first time since 2018.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what happened before and after that game, as I reported in a 2021 story on Howie Roseman:
https:\/\/t.co\/VJckxGpp0x https:\/\/t.co\/f7xFwYLdm5<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

For years, Johnson has transparently discussed managing his mental health, with this feature by ESPN\u2019s Tim McManus<\/a> serving as a shining example. To Martin\u2019s point, Johnson missed four training camp practices for personal reasons this summer. Upon returning, he opened up vulnerably about his headspace and his parents\u2019 ailing health.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you get older, things change in your life \u2014 priorities, your children get older, your parents get older \u2014 and so, it just puts things into perspective,\u201d Johnson said during his press conference at the Eagles\u2019 training camp on Aug. 8. \u201cLooking like, man, this is probably, potentially, gonna be probably my last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson also said he had considered retirement the year prior and that \u201cit\u2019s hard to get time back\u201d as his children get older, but at that time, he reiterated his love for football and commitment to the Eagles.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer<\/a> published an exclusive report on Johnson\u2019s retirement decision, including the role of longtime Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland stepping down<\/a> in February and Johnson\u2019s persistent anxiety about playing over the past four years.<\/p>\n

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