Braden Smith managed 12 appearances for the Colts in 2024, remaining a full-time starter up front. The veteran right tackle was away from the team for the end of the campaign, however, and further details regarding his absence have emerged. 
In a detailed piece documenting Smith’s situation, Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star notes the 29-year-old dealt with religious scrupulosity, which is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (or OCD). Smith played through the issue during the 2024 campaign, but his worsening condition caused him to pause his career and attempt a number of treatment options.
“I was physically present, but I was nowhere to be found,” Smith said when reflecting on his time with the team. “I did not care about playing football. I didn’t care about hanging out with my family, with my wife, with my newborn son. I [felt like I] was a month away from putting a bullet through my brain.”
Smith told his wife in September he intended to retire at the end of the season if the issue persisted. The seven-year veteran spent 48 days at a treatment facility after stepping away from the Colts, receiving an official diagnosis for the first time. A number of treatment options and medications proved ineffective in terms of improving his condition on a permanent basis, however.
The decision was therefore made to attempt treatment using ibogaine in Mexico (since it is illegal in the United States). The psychoactive alkaloid compound has been used in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder as well traumatic brain injury, and it – along with a regimen of OCD-specific therapy sessions back home – yielded progress. As a result, Smith is now prepared to resume his career.
The former second-rounder agreed to a restructure this offseason, lowering his cap hit to $10.4MM. Smith is a pending 2026 free agent, so his performance next season will be critical in determining his future. He will be counted on to reprise his role as a key O-lineman after Indianapolis lost center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries on the open market. OCD will remain a part of Smith’s life moving forward, but, fortunately, he appears to be in position to return to the Colts on a full-time basis.
“I wasn’t here last year,” he added. “I was physically here, but I wasn’t. I want to be me again here, and I want the people around me to experience that, because I do feel like I do have something to offer the people around me.”