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Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has been in the news a lot this season, ever since he was seen struggling for breath on-air during the September 25 edition of the FOX NFL Sunday pregame show. Not long afterward, the four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback revealed that he has been battling two different forms of cancer, having been diagnosed with bladder cancer in November 2021 and then a rare form of skin cancer in March 2022.
Meanwhile, Bradshaw has continued working, taking his regular shift on FOX NFL Sunday each weekend. On the morning of November 6, he and his colleagues were previewing the Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals matchup when colleague Sean Payton suggested that the Cards should get running back James Conner “more involved” in the team’s offense.
That prompted Bradshaw to interrupt Payton to say:
“They are not going to do it. They just can’t do it. Their mentality is: throw, throw, throw, throw. That’s all they want to do. I think if this kid [James Conner] ran five or six runs in a row, I think he’d commit suicide or something,” said Bradshaw, making reference to Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who has seen his team struggle to a 3-6 record this season while employing a decidedly pass-oriented offense.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s a little dark for this audience,” remarked analyst Howie Long, even as fellow analyst Michael Strahan made a face that is destined to become a popular meme.
“That’s a little dark for all of us,” added studio host Curt Menefee, for emphasis.
Meanwhile, NFL fans reacted with outrage on Twitter.
One individual who held themselves out as a mental health professional tweeted, “As someone who works directly with people who struggle [with] suicidal thoughts this comment is just WRONG. Apologize for your careless comment.”
Many other observers expressed the sentiment that it’s time for Bradshaw to retire from broadcasting.
Another suggested “he should be suspended without pay for this egregious comment.”
Terry Bradshaw Has Spoken Publicly About His Long-Standing Battle With Depression
Making Bradshaw’s comment all the more remarkable is that he has periodically spoken out about his struggles with depression and how it affected his NFL career.
In fact, he says depression is something that he can’t escape.
“There are certain things that happen in my life. Certain demands on my life, certain disappointments in my life from people, that send me over the edge. And I guess it’s something I can’t control,” said Bradshaw in January 2022 during a Q&A interview with Brady Langmann of Esquire magazine.
Postscript: James Conner’s Rushing Stats
As for how Sunday’s Seahawks-Cardinals matchup turned out, the Cards lost 31-21 while passing the ball 35 times and rushing the ball just 21 times.
For what it’s worth, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray averaged a mere 5.0 yards per attempt via the pass, while Arizona averaged a healthy 5.8 yards per rush. Former Steelers running back James Conner had seven carries for 45 yards, an average of 6.4 yards per rush.
Conner is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he scored 18 touchdowns. But injuries have held him back this season. Thus far he has appeared in five games and has 54 carries for 200 yards and one rushing TD, as per Pro Football Reference.
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