Getty Images Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith announced on Thursday that he will not play during the 2019 season. Smith’s statement said that he “must take time away from the game and get my world in order” before going on to say that he needs to give “this time back to myself, my family and my health.” Smith said he appreciates all the support he “will and will not get,” which was a theme the Jaguars picked up on in a statement indicating they were caught off guard by Smith’s announcement. The Jaguars said that they need to talk to Smith to understand more about his decision before making a more complete comment on the situation. “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” The Jaguars selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2014 draft and he has spent his entire NFL career in Jacksonville.<doc-sep>Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith announced that he’ll be stepping away from football Thursday, and it appears the team seemingly was in the dark about his future. After the veteran linebacker broke the news, the Jags released a statement on the situation which states that they’ll will look to speak with Smith in person to further understand the situation. “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” Smith made his announcement via Instagram Thursday afternoon, stating that he wanted to give more time to himself, his family and his health. He also said his heart will remain with the Jaguars, who he’s gone to battle with for many years. We’ve often seen players leave football early with all the health concerns surrounding the game (most notably CTE) and that might be the case with Smith, who battled a concussion in 2017 and missed two games as a result. If that’s the case, one can’t blame him for his decision as his health and family come above everything else.<doc-sep>Pro Bowl linebacker Telvin Smith announced Thursday he was stepping away from football to “give this time back to myself, my family & my health.” Smith, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ leading tackler the last two seasons who made the Pro Bowl in 2017, delivered his announcement through an Instagram. He said was stepping away to “get my world in order.” CLEVELAND BROWNS' BAKER MAYFIELD PENS HEARTWARMING MOTHER'S DAY LETTER “I appreciate all the support I will & will not get,” Smith said. “I just ask that y’all respect my decision to not play football this season.” He has since made his Instagram account private. Smith would have been entering his sixth season with the Jaguars. He has recorded 586 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks over that span. Jacksonville selected him in the 2014 NFL Draft from Florida State. The Jaguars declined to comment on Smith’s situation, saying “we need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances.” “If there is a way we can support him, we need to understand that,” the Jaguars added. Smith and teammate Jalen Ramsey were two players who were called out by Tom Coughlin, the executive vice president of football operations, after they failed to show up for the start of the team’s offseason program. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Championship teams are dominated by selfless individuals who recognize that the welfare of the team must always be paramount to any other consideration,” Coughlin said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Michael Reaves/Getty Images On the heels of Telvin Smith skipping voluntary workouts last month, the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker has announced he's taking a year off. Smith announced his decision to sit out the 2019 season on Instagram, citing a need to "get my world in order" (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter): The Jaguars issued a statement: “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. “If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” There has been speculation about Smith's future with the Jaguars following his absence from the team's voluntary workouts. Per Phillip Heilman of The Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars had an evident "frustration level" with Smith due to his absence. Head coach Doug Marrone told reporters on April 22 he hasn't been able to get in contact with Smith, saying at the time "he's probably busy." Video Play Button Videos you might like Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that same day opposing teams were monitoring Smith's situation in Jacksonville in case he became available in trade talks. Smith responded earlier this week during a chat on Instagram live: "I'm never leaving Duval; it's Duval til we die. You understand me? Y'all seen trade rumors and stuff. Y'all seen me go anywhere? Exactly. Y'all seen the rumors go somewhere, but y'all ain't seen me go nowhere cause I ain't going nowhere. You understand me?" The Jaguars gave Smith a four-year contract extension in October 2017 that runs through the 2021 season. The 2017 Pro Bowler led the team and set a career high last year with 134 combined tackles.<doc-sep>
Jacksonville Jaguars star Telvin Smith is sitting out the 2019 season, and nobody seems to have any idea why. The talented linebacker announced the news on Instagram Thursday, and stated, in part, “At this time, I must take time away from this game [and] get my world in order. I must give this time back to myself, my family [and] my health.” It’s not clear at all at this time what the problem might be for Smith. You can read his whole post below in a screenshot from Adam Schefter. Jaguars’ LB Telvin Smith announced he will not play football in 2019. pic.twitter.com/GHCMhXmDQb — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 9, 2019 The Jaguars also didn’t seem to be in the talking mood when it came to the situation and said in a statement, “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” Jaguars’ statement: “We will not have a comment about Telvin Smith’s statement at this time. We need to have a conversation with Telvin to understand the situation and the circumstances. “If there is a way we can support him we need to understand that.” — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 9, 2019 This is such a bizarre situation all the way around. Telvin Smith is one of best players on the Jaguars and will give up nearly $10 million if he sits out the year. I can’t find a single thing online about any publicly known problems, and judging from the Jaguars statement, the team had absolutely no idea this was coming. .@Jaguars LB Telvin Smith announces he won’t play football in 2019 season. pic.twitter.com/wg8IiPXdax — NFL (@NFL) May 9, 2019 Let’s all hope he figures out whatever he’s struggling with and bounces back stronger than ever. It sounds like it’s not a great situation. Given how much money he’s leaving on the table, I have to imagine it’s pretty serious for him to just walk away without any kind of warning at all. Stay tuned for more updates when we have them on this bizarre and unexpected situation.