Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay says he is battling mental health issues
Chiefs second-year linebacker Willie Gay posted on social media Friday that he is struggling with his mental health.
“I love you all,” Gay’s tweet began. “Just know my mental health is F’d up.”
Gay did not share specifics.
The tweet posted minutes after Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Gay was excused from practice for personal reasons.
“I should say also that Willie, he was let out of practice with personal reasons today,” Reid said.
Gay, 23, is yet to play this season, sidelined with a turf toe injury. After a strong training camp, he was projected to start, but he suffered the injury in the preseason finale and was placed on injured reserve.
The Chiefs designated him to return this week, opening a three-week window in which to activate him to the active roster. He was at practice earlier this week.
The Chiefs drafted Gay in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
A growing number of professional athletes have publicized their own battles with mental health. In 2019, then-Royals pitcher Danny Duffy revealed his struggles with panic disorder, anxiety and depression. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates one in every five adults in the United States experiences mental illness, a statistic to which athletes are not immune.