Stephen A. Smith’s latest controversy has drawn criticism from someone who has never shied away from challenging him. The criticism also adds another chapter to the long-running public feud between Terrell Owens and the ESPN personality. Their relationship deteriorated on November 21, 2019, during an episode of ESPN’s First Take. What followed was a bitter dispute that eventually spilled into legal threats and accusations of disrespect. Now, Lane Johnson’s decision to step away from football has given Owens another reason to call Smith out.

“I don’t understand how there’s not any consequences to Stephen A. Smith, especially with ESPN and Disney being the corporation, the business entity that they are,” Owens said on the Get to the Point podcast. “To speak so insensitively with a topic like mental health, the way he did, 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 to not speak on something that is affecting millions of people and is a very sensitive topic. But to feel like you have a microphone and a platform and be reckless with your words. 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.”

Lane Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles’ veteran offensive tackle, shocked the NFL world last week when he announced his retirement. The Super Bowl champion explained that he wanted to prioritize his mental health and spend more time caring for his family. But Stephen A. Smith’s response quickly became a separate controversy.

“He went like this, ‘I’m going to call it quits.’ Now he calls it quits. What did he say? His mental health.”

The reaction prompted criticism from fans and other media members who rightly believed the situation deserved greater sensitivity. And ESPN broadcaster eventually acknowledged that he had crossed a line.

“I was wrong to Lane Johnson,” Smith admitted. “I was wrong to the Philadelphia Eagles; I messed up because I made light of the issue of mental health.”

The apology did little to stop Owens from demanding accountability. That’s why the former Dallas Cowboys star questioned why the veteran broadcaster appeared to face no immediate professional consequences.

Even another former ESPN colleague, Jalen Rose, was not a fan of Stephen A. Smith’s frequent apologies. “Been doing a lot of tap dancing, I mean apologizing,” wrote Rose on X.

For Owens, however, this latest incident carries added weight because of their personal history.

The feud between the two escalated after Stephen A. Smith shared details of a private text exchange with Owens on air. The 49ers Hall of Famer objected and stated he had attorneys contact ESPN to explore potential legal action involving copyright infringement and defamation.

Smith dismissed the legal threat as a “laughable” money grab, and communication between the two eventually stopped. Owens further accused the ESPN broadcaster of using his platform to tarnish Black athletes. He had also repeatedly challenged Smith to “keep that same energy” if they ever meet face-to-face.

Let’s not forget, Stephen A. Smith has faced professional consequences before. In July 2014, ESPN suspended him for one week after his comments about the NFL’s handling of Ray Rice’s domestic violence case. He later apologized and acknowledged that his remarks were a serious mistake.

Two years later, the veteran broadcaster faced criticism for his response to Ayesha Curry because she suggested the NBA Finals might be “rigged.” He subsequently walked back his comments on First Take.

Again, in July 2021, his remarks about Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani also triggered backlash. Stephen A. Smith questioned whether Ohtani could become the face of baseball in the United States because he relied on an interpreter and did not speak English fluently.

After his comments on Lane Johnson, Smith even gave his opinion on Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor’s divorce without verifying facts. This again led to him apologizing.