Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith recently announced he would step away from football for the 2019 season. That did not sit well with some people, who criticized Smith's decision.
In response to those people, Smith posted an Instagram story on Saturday blasting his critics and reminding them that football isn't the be-all and end-all in life.
“Why is it so crazy I want to step away from the game?” Smith said per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “Y'all just chill. Everything's solid, you feel me? Stop going crazy. It's getting aggravating. You feel me? Football ain't everything. Y'all better wake the f— up.”
Obviously, Smith is in the right. While it's true that football is a significant part of his life, it's not the only thing that's important to him.
The people who are criticizing Smith clearly don't know the complete story as to why he is making such a major decision. If he feels that stepping away from football is the right move for him, they should respect it and move on.
If there's some criticism to be placed on Smith, perhaps it's in the way he went about announcing his decision, which apparently caught even the Jaguars off-guard. But given the apparent severity of Smith's situation, he deserves at least some sympathy.
As for the Jaguars, they have no choice but to cope with Smith's impending absence this season, which will be significant. Luckily, they do have some very talented linebackers in Myles Jack and rookie Josh Allen who can step in and help out.
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