On Lane Johnson and How People Say They Support Others Prioritizing Mental Health, Yet Don't Mean It

There are certain things many people like to pay lip service to but don’t actually believe. “I care about the environment,” they'll declare until they have to put even the most minimal effort into separating recycling versus garbage. “I believe in barely any screen time for my kids,” until they need just 10 minutes of quiet to drink some coffee and the kiddos won’t stop brawling with each other whilst the television sits ready to cue up a show. “I think mental health is important,” until someone actually prioritizes their own mental health and it inconveniences another in some manner. Mental health and focusing on our own psychological well-being is somehow controversial. It, sadly, often is not okay to say, "I'm not okay."

Lane Johnson has spent over a decade playing Football as an offensive lineman, spending his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He never hesitated to throw himself right at a 300-ish-pound man on the field, but for years he was terrified to share with friends or family his diagnosis of anxiety and depression. He has won Super Bowls and found himself regarded as one of the best offensive linebackers in the NFL. He still struggled with mental health and has been public in the past about raising awareness. He has announced that he is immediately retiring from the sport for his mental health. He feels he needs to be done and is taking care of himself so he can continue to be there for his family; that's his choice. That said, a number of fans and sports commentators are beside themselves at this. “The Eagles need him!” some shout. “He can't quit now!” others may declare. Stephen A. Smith offered a take that was so especially vicious that he later apologized and attempted to clarify his wording.

This morning on, “The Breakfast Club,” radio show, host Charlamagne tha God offered a fantastic breakdown of why men are often so hesitant to declare, “Hey, even if I seem to be functional, I really don’t feel right.” I would encourage everyone to listen to that segment, which I have posted above. World Mental Health Day is this Saturday, which makes it all the more fitting that Lane Johnson’s openness about his mental health is a topic of discussion. I support him doing what he needs to be his best self. Oh, and yes, we can still talk about how this could impact the Philadelphia Eagles season and so forth. That said, let's not do so in a manner where Johnson is somehow solely at fault for anything that now could go wrong. Plenty of players find themselves out of the game for physical injuries or retire due to a number of factors during a season. Just because we can’t visually see what Johnson is possibly going through does not diminish the validity of any choices he makes for his own health—body and/or mind. 

Lane Johnson did what he thought was best for himself. We (generally) know ourselves better than anyone else, so second-guessing his own health choices comes across as tone deaf at best and maliciously ignorant at worst. Let’s all just try to support each other in times of need. Be there for each other physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and so forth. It’s a goal that sounds reasonable but is clearly so hard to put into practice.