The Braden Smith story has never been one for big stages or bright lights. And this wasn’t some throwaway revelation. This was the raw stuff—48 days in a treatment facility. A stretch so dark he admitted he didn’t care if he lived to see another Sunday, let alone another snap. “I was a month away from putting a bullet through my brain,” he said.
Coming out of a dark place like that, it’s about holding onto hope and trusting the ones close to you. And his wife, Courtney, has been more than a support, a better half, or his strength. She has been his everything. No, not the cliche, novel-type. But the kind that every one of us hopes for. And the Smiths know that we are here, cheering for Braden. Our support. The messages. They have read them all.
Courtney shared an emotional message with fans this week… After publicly revealing Braden’s battle with OCD, she took to Instagram to thank the flood of supporters: “Overwhelmed by all of the support… our goals in sharing were to… let people know they aren’t alone. 2) Show what OCD can be, is for Braden because it’s way different from what most people believe it to be. 3) Share what helped Braden and our family. 3) Encourage those who are struggling to ask for help and support.”
Credits: Instagram story/@courtsheasmith
That’s the kind of togetherness they promise each other back in 2018, when they got engaged in the most un-Hollywood way possible—hot dogs, Netflix, and a simple, “Yeah, sure.” From late-night conversations to mid-season breakdowns, she’s seen every version of Braden—on the field and in the shadows. And when he said, “I want the people around me to experience the real me again,” you could tell that promise started with her.
Smith’s diagnosis—religious scrupulosity—isn’t your average “pray and power through” narrative. It’s obsessive. It’s paralyzing. And it almost ended everything. He turned to therapy, to treatment in Colorado, and then to a psychedelic drug not even legal in the U.S. The fight? Brutal. But he’s still swinging. And now, so is his voice.
The Colts, to their credit, didn’t flinch. Chris Ballard said it loud: “Braden Smith is back and he’s in a great spot.” The team reworked his contract, not to cut ties—but to give him the space to reset. Less money? Sure. But Smith sees it as unfinished business.
Anthony Richardson can finally breathe under center!
Let’s be honest—watching Anthony Richardson scramble behind a shaky line last season in the last 5 games was like watching a rookie QB try to dodge a blitz with one cleat missing. He had a passer rating of 66.2, five picks in five games, and yeah, five sacks in the five games Braden Smith wasn’t around. Coincidence? Nope. No Smith? No peace.
According to the Indy Star, (in a piece they wrote ahead of the 2024 season), Braden’s the essential piece. He’s Colts’ one of the most valuable players on the gridiron. Why? Because when he’s off the field, it’s obvious. Ask Maxx Crosby, who got ghosted the moment Smith returned in week 17 in the 2023 season. It was a shutdown clinic. Not just good. Essential.
But 2024 was still messy. Braden missed seven games, battled wrist and hip issues, and was limping through matchups like a warrior on one leg. And let’s not forget—while Anthony was recovering from shoulder surgery, Smith was fighting his own war. OCD. Quiet, brutal, and nearly fatal. But he’s here. Still standing. Still protecting.
Now 2025? That’s the comeback tour. For both of them. Smith missed the last five games of 2024. Anthony missed 13. But this year, it’s personal. Smith took a pay cut to stay in Indy. He doesn’t care about the money. He just wants back in the huddle. “I wasn’t here last year,” he said. “I was physically here, but I wasn’t. [And] I want to be me again… I do feel like I do have something to offer.”
A quarterback who’s finally upright after a Sophomore Slump. A right tackle who’s finally clear. One needed time. The other needed healing. But in 2025, they’ll both get what they were missing last season—each other.
The post Forced to Miss 5 Games for Anthony Richardson’s Offense Due to a Disorder, Colts Veteran’s Wife Shares Emotional Message appeared first on EssentiallySports.
