Washington Redskins safety Su'a Cravens didn't shed light on why he might retire, but in his Snapchat story Monday afternoon he said he needed to do what made him happy.
Cravens informed the Redskins on Saturday that he planned to retire, though it's uncertain if he'll stick with those plans after talking with team officials and coaches that night. The Redskins placed him on the exempt/left squad list, giving him one month to return.
Cravens has not addressed why he's thinking of quitting the sport at age 22, but on Snapchat, he said he wanted to shed light on the situation.
"I don't feel I need to explain myself. ... I think I need to follow what makes me happy, get my mental right, my well-being right and my family right," Cravens told his followers. "I'm not worried about the comments or what people think about me.
"I'm gonna be a lot more open with y'all now that I can, now that I have nobody to answer to at the moment so I'll be open with you. You all will really get to know me. You can hate me or love me. There will be no gray area or in-between. I don't prefer it any other way. Love you all."
Cravens, a second-round pick in 2016, was going to start at safety this season. He injured his knee during the first preseason game and required arthroscopic surgery, putting his status somewhat in doubt for the Sept. 10 season opener. It also gave him time to think as he began mulling this career decision.
On Saturday, players who saw him in the locker room felt he was upbeat, except for seeing teammates who had just been cut clean out their lockers. In fact, earlier that day Cravens described on a now-deleted Instagram post about how he had written in 11th grade that his dream was to play professional football.
After talking to some teammates in the locker room, Cravens then headed to team president Bruce Allen's office to inform him of his plans. On a group chat with the defensive backs later that day, he told them of his plans before exiting. One player on the chat said players were surprised and upset.
Last season, Cravens upset teammates by skipping a day in the week leading up to the season finale vs. the New York Giants. There was doubt about whether or not he could play because of a biceps injury, but considering the game's importance, his absence angered teammates. Then-general manager Scot McCloughan spoke with him at the time, but there was no talk at that point about retirement.
Cravens once went missing for three days while at USC, also while dealing with an injury, once source said, confirming a report from the The Washington Post. Key decision makers with the Redskins didn't know about that during the pre-draft process a year ago, a source said.
Some players have wondered how much Cravens loves the game, but not everyone in the organization believes it's about his passion for the sport. They pointed to the passion he displayed on the field as a rookie, taking on lead blockers with aggression and celebrating big plays that he or others would make. That's why team officials want to give him time to sort matters out and, they hope, to return.
The team has not addressed the situation publicly. Coach Jay Gruden is scheduled to speak with the media following practice Tuesday.