Colts quarterback Carson Wentz says every NFL player — and every person — needs someone they can open up to.
Asked about NFL players’ mental health in an interview with Beth Hoole of Valley News Live in North Dakota, Wentz said it’s becoming more acceptable for players to reach out to someone when they need help.
“It’s sad that it wasn’t socially acceptable, but I think it’s more understood because I think everyone can relate,” Wentz said. “I think it’s OK, and people are realizing that it’s OK, to not be OK and to talk about it. Everyone’s got somebody in their life, whether it’s a counselor, teammate, friend, brother, wife, pastor, whatever that is, and if they don’t have that hopefully they can find that. I’ve been fortunate to have people in my life when things are going south or I’m struggling, to have an honest conversation, to refocus and reframe my mindset, and I think that’s so important for everybody, but especially in the NFL with all the pressures and all the things that get thrown at us it’s definitely been acceptable. You see guys being honest and open and vulnerable, not all the time, but it’s becoming a little bit more normal and OK and I think it’s encouraging for people to see that, you know, us big strong football players can be vulnerable, can be real people that go through real stuff and that it’s OK to say ‘I’m struggling.’”
It was obvious that Wentz had on-field struggles last season in Philadelphia, but he appears more comfortable now in Indianapolis, and he says he’s had people he could count on to help him get through the struggles of the last year.