NFL legend Terrell Owens is calling for ESPN to suspend Stephen A. Smith for his comments on mental health in the wake of Lane Johnson’s retirement. And Owens is right.
“I don’t understand how there are no consequences for Stephen A.’s actions, especially with ESPN and Disney being the corporations they are, for him to speak so insensitively about a topic like mental health the way he did,” Owens said. “Why isn’t he suspended? For him to speak so recklessly to a guy and then try to backtrack and say he’s had mental health issues. If you knew that, then you’re smart enough not to speak on something affecting millions of people, millions of people, and something that’s a very sensitive topic.
“He’s never played football. Maybe his mental is not the same as a football player’s mental. His stresses or whatever he’s going through to get to where he is, sitting behind a desk getting paid by ESPN, don’t compare to what a football player has to deal with.”
Owens’ comments come after multiple public apologies from Smith for his comments on Lane Johnson’s retirement.
“He went like this, ‘You know what? I’m gonna call it quits.’ 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?” Smith said. “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.’ As an offensive tackle, Lord, you know it’s bad. There’s no way [if] you’re undefeated, you’re winning football games, you’re thriving, everybody’s got Super Bowl in their sights, [that] you walk away. You walk away because it’s a very, very, very bad situation, and it doesn’t look to be getting any better.”
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Smith has apologized multiple times, and faced a lot of backlash on social media, but ultimately, nothing that has happened will stop him from engaging in this kind of discourse moving forward.
Everything that has happened is just more eyeballs and engagement for Smith, which is ultimately the No. 1 goal for him and his shows.
If ESPN actually wants to hold Smith accountable, he needs to face punishment
Smith is paid like a professional athlete. NBA, NFL, MLB, etc. players will get fined or suspended when they break the rules.
Now, Smith doesn’t really operate under a similar list of rules, but he clearly crossed a line with his comments on Lane Johnson’s retirement.
ESPN publicly disciplining Smith, through a suspension or fine or something else, would go a long way in convincing his fans, critics and viewers that they’re actually willing to hold him accountable and not agree with, or benefit from, everything he says that does cross a line.
However, at this point, given the controversy appears to be in the rearview mirror, discipline is unlikely.
