Recently, the Philadelphia Eagles received a surprise when star offensive lineman Lane Johnson announced he would be retiring from the NFL in order to focus on his mental health. The move brings to an end a legendary career with the Eagles, who have struggled over their last two weeks and now sit at 2-2.
Among those weighing in on the move is ESPN sports media personality Stephen A. Smith, who recently took to First Take to relay his thoughts.
“Now he calls it quits, not before the season. Not in the offseason…four 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,” said Smith, per Awful Announcing on X, formerly Twitter.
Smith later tried to backtrack and soften the tone of his comments.
“Let me be very, very clear and specific about what I'm saying, I would never make light of mental health issues,” said Smith.
It's unclear, then, what exactly Smith's take was, considering he seemed to be playing both sides of an argument he created.
Fans in the comment section were not pleased with his take.
“This is a complete Disgrace and Stephen needs to be punished for mocking and laughing at mental health. Otherwise I never want to hear your company say you care or support mental health,” wrote one fan.
Article Continues Below“Distasteful take . Very , Lane has a history of stepping away from the game when going through mental resets. Very bad take and apology should be issued,” wrote another.
It remains to be seen if Smith will respond to the controversy.
Meanwhile, the Eagles will next hit the field on Sunday for a game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.