Stephen A. Smith Mocks Lane Johnson for Retiring to Focus on His Mental Health, Apologizes Later

Stephen A. Smith questioned the timing of former Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson's retirement.

Stephen A. Smith Mocks Lane Johnson for Retiring to Focus on His Mental Health, Apologizes Later

Lane Johnson and Stephen A. Smith inside the circle (Image via Yahoo Sports)

A frustrated Stephen A. Smith called out Lane Johnson for ditching the Philadelphia Eagles by announcing his retirement four games into the new season. Johnson retired to focus on his mental health.

The 2024 Super Bowl champions began their year with consecutive wins over the Washington Commanders and the Tennessee Titans. However, over the next two weeks, they suffered defeats to the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams.

Hours after the Eagles lost to the Rams, veteran offensive lineman Lane Johnson walked away from pro football after 14 years. Smith questioned the timing of Johnson’s retirement on Wednesday’s First Take.

Now, he calls it quits. Not before the season. Not in the offseason. Oh, no, no, no, no! After being subjected to this, he said, ‘Life is a little bit too short. I need to focus’—what did he say? His mental health? Am I making it up?

Stephen A. Smith said

Smith doubled down on the mental health aspect.

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.

Stephen A. Smith said

Later in the show, Smith clarified his remarks after Kimberly Martin reminded the veteran sports analyst that he was a vocal mental health advocate for years. Smith explained that he criticized the Eagles franchise and not Johnson.

However, the damage was done. Longtime NFL analyst Chase Senior fired off a tweet in response to Smith’s statement. Senior argued that Smith crossed a line as the veteran star’s parents were sick.

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Stephen A. Smith issues apology to Lane Johnson after backlash

The Eagles drafted Lane Johnson with the 4th overall pick in 2013. He earned 5 All-Pro selections, 6 Pro Bowl selections, and won two Super Bowls with the NFC East franchise.

Stephen A. Smith Mocks Lane Johnson for Retiring to Focus on His Mental Health, Apologizes Later
#65 Lane Johnson (Image via Yahoo Sports)

There were murmurs that Johnson might retire after the 2025 season, but he decided to continue. The run ended after four games, sending Stephen A. into a frenzy on TV. Fans on social media weren’t happy with Smith’s reaction.

On Wednesday, Smith went on his SiriusXM show to issue an apology. Smith claimed that his previous argument was “misconstrued.”

I’m sorry that when I was on television earlier this morning, on First Take … people misconstrued me minimizing mental health. I would never do that. Hell, I had mental health issues.

Stephen A. Smith via X

Back in 2017, when Smith’s mother passed away, he admitted seeing “dark” all the time and relied heavily on therapy and his family to heal.

Eagles to field a new look O-Line following Johnson’s retirement

The Eagles are in a bit of a pinch. Not only is the offense misfiring, but their O-Line is now severely depleted with Johnson’s sudden retirement. That’s not all. The Eagles also traded two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens.

Word around the league is that the Eagles could trade for Miami’s 6-foot-7 rookie guard Kadyn Proctor in the coming days. But that’s still a long shot. Eagles were heavy favorites to select the former Alabama star until they opted to draft a receiver.

Until the Eagles add new faces to their roster, the offensive line could look something like this: Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Drew Kendall at center, Tyler Steen at guard, and rookie Markell Bell at right tackle.

Bell came through the ranks at the Miami Hurricanes. He played in the college football playoff final last season. The Eagles drafted him with the 68th overall pick. He has played sparingly in every game so far.

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