Stephen A. Smith has already regretted his comments from Wednesday morning.
During an episode of “First Take,” Smith spoke about Philadelphia Eagles OL Lane Johnson, who retired on Tuesday amid mental health issues.
Smith questioned Johnson for quitting after four games, citing the Eagles’ poor play as a reason, in some questionable comments.
On Wednesday afternoon, Smith issued a long apology on his social media page.
Sorry for the misunderstanding regarding my comments on First Take this morning. https://t.co/UpqSx8CkuL
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 7, 2026
Smith’s comments quickly circulated on social media, and even his co-hosts on “First Take” seemed to give away their thoughts with their facial expressions.
"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" – Stephen A. Smith on Lane Johnson retiring https://t.co/itUSL5LrVt
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2026
Johnson was in his 14th season in the NFL. He missed a week during training camp with personal issues, and he also missed the Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams due to personal issues, so this had been building for some time, leading to the retirement announcement.
As for Smith, he has constantly been involved with some hot takes and questionable comments, including making a “white dudes” comment about the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
