KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Athlete mental health has been placed in the spotlight ever since Simone Biles withdrew from the team and individual Olympic gymnastic competitions this week citing mental health issues.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about NFL athlete mental health during a news conference after training camp practice on Wednesday.
Reid praised Biles as an athlete and praised the NFL for its discussions on mental health.
"The league does a great job about talking about that (mental health)," Reid said. "We keep a close eye on that."
Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt also praised the NFL during the news conference for its focus on mental health awareness for the past decade.
"We have to be more cognizant of it," Hunt said.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu was able to touch on the pressure pro-athletes face not just from their own country but from around the world.
Mathieu praised both Biles and Naomi Osaka, the tennis star who withdrew from the French Open after being fined for not participating in media briefings. Osaka cited mental health concerns as to why she would not speak with the media.
"I'm proud of her (Biles). I'm proud of Naomi," Mathieu said. "I'm proud of all these women putting mental health first."
