This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke with 'The Breakfast Club' on Netflix co-host, mental health advocate, and Radio Hall of Fame member Charlamagne tha God.
In his interview with Easton Jr., Charlamagne discussed the Mental Wealth Alliance ahead of the 6th Annual Mental Wealth Expo on October 10th (World Mental Health Day), hosted at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He weighed in on the NFL's growing initiative to address player wellness.
"I launched the Mental Wealth Alliance in 2020, and when I did, I was thinking about ways to expand the work I was already doing. I always thought about all the physical health expos they have. They always have expos for cardiovascular health or, cancer- just anything to do with the physical.
But I never saw too many focused on mental health," said Charlamagne. "That's what made me want to do the Mental Wealth Expo. I could bring together a whole bunch of mental health professionals, therapists, psychiatrists, even spiritual leaders, and have people come out and get this information for free because that's one of the biggest barriers to people dealing with their mental and emotional well-being. Not having the resources to go sit down and talk to people, or even know which direction to go to get started."
Your mental health deserves a spot on your weekend calendar! 💙🙌🏽 The #MentalWealthExpo is back THIS SATURDAY, and admission is FREE for all ages!
— Power 105.1 (@Power1051) October 5, 2026
Last year was powerful, and this year we’re bringing that energy back even bigger. Join @cthagod and @devibrown for mental health… pic.twitter.com/wKVhM36pd6
The NFL has formed 'The Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Committee' to help players, while teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs provide wellness programs with in-house doctors for players and staff. Charlamagne emphasizes the need for more attention for players who still struggle after their careers end.
"I don't think there's a league out there that does more damage to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of people in football. Think about the physical toll that they have to go through," said Charlamagne. "The things that they do to get their bodies in shape, even to go out there and perform, and just the mental anguish that they probably have to deal with as well, and then when you factor things in like CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), which they don't even really have a lot of research on, and you're starting to see all of these different stories that have happened throughout the years of people who have had these CTE issues."
Former Green Bay Packers player turned therapist Jay Barnett is using his experiences with mental health issues to help others in collaboration with the Mental Wealth Alliance.
"I met one of my good brothers. His name is Dr. Jay Barnett. He's a former NFL player. He tried to commit suicide twice, and now he is a doctor. He's a psychiatrist who devotes his life to helping brothers heal; that's one of his areas of expertise. He'll be at the Mental Wealth Expo," said Charlamagne. "He's at the Mental Wealth Expo every year, man. I love that brother to death, and he'll be there having this conversation. He's a living, breathing example of the mental and emotional toll the NFL can take on a person, and I'm glad he's still alive and telling his story to help other brothers get through it."
Barnett joins a talented group of speakers at the expo, including Michelle Williams, Paris Alexandra, Jennifer Arnise, Tierra Banks, Marc Brackett, Elliott Connie, Judge Dawson, Kier Gaines, Trent Out Loud, Savanna Stevens, Julius Thomas, Iyanla Vanzant, Rheeda Walker, Koya Webb, and Jovian Zayne.
Open to all ages, the free Mental Wealth Expo connects attendees with interactive panel discussions, re-centering resources, and healing spaces that will equip them with a game plan for regulation and recharging.
For more information, visit mentalwealthexpo.com.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Charlamagne tha God discusses Mental Wealth Alliance, NFL wellness
