Braden Smith reveals his mental health battle- "I didn't care about my wife, or even my newborn son"

The Colts were in the thick of a playoff push. Every game mattered, every player counted and Braden Smith , one of the most reliable linemen on the roster, was suddenly nowhere to be seen. There was no public injury report, no sideline footage, no whispers of a trade. Just a quiet note in the weekly lineup: “Out – Personal Reasons.” For weeks, fans were left guessing. Was it family-related? A contract issue? Something behind the scenes? As the team fought on without him, Smith 's absence became one of the most puzzling storylines of the Colts’ 2024 season.


Now, months later, the silence has been broken and the truth reveals a far deeper and more personal battle than anyone could have imagined.


Braden Smith’s silent battle behind NFL absence



While cameras captured touchdowns and turnovers, Smith was battling something no helmet could protect him from. The 27-year-old right tackle wasn’t sidelined by a broken bone or a torn muscle. He was dealing with a mental health crisis so severe, it left him emotionally paralyzed.


Obsessive thoughts tied to religious fear, an intense condition known as scrupulosity, spiraled into debilitating depression. It wasn’t a slump. It was a shutdown. Smith later admitted, “I did not care about playing football. I didn’t care about hanging out with my family, with my wife, with my newborn son.”


At the height of his struggle, he sought inpatient treatment. Medication helped, but didn’t solve everything. Eventually, desperate for relief, he traveled outside the U.S. to undergo ibogaine therapy, a mind-altering treatment that’s illegal stateside but used in other countries for severe psychological disorders.



Braden Smith’s return marks new beginning



Smith has rejoined the Colts ahead of the 2025 season, but this isn’t the usual “athlete overcomes adversity” arc. There’s no neat ending here, just a man who confronted his darkest fears and found enough light to keep moving.

He’s back not because he was cleared to play but because he chose to live.



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This chapter of Braden Smith’s career won’t be measured in blocks or wins. It’s measured in presence. In being able to show up for himself, his team, and the life he nearly walked away from.

In a league obsessed with physical durability, Smith just reminded everyone that mental endurance might be the rarest strength of all.