We have got to stop putting Jalen Ramsey under the microscope

Let me paint a picture for you...

You’re one of the most valuable employees at your company — so much so that every competitor has made known they’d love to hire you — but your CEO micro-manages you, meddling in your day to day. He’s overriding your immediate supervisor, who you like and respect because he’s done the job you’re currently doing. The CEO? He worked his way up the company ladder having side-stepped your job. He’s two generations removed from you and he just doesn’t get it. Your boss has also gone so far as to tell you he’s “disappointed” you’re not showing up for work on holidays or weekends. After all, it’s about the company, right?

What’s worse is that your industry mandates that the worst companies get their pick of the top performing employees every year and you’re contractually obligated to work there for up to six years at a salary that was negotiated (poorly) by someone other than you.

But you stick it out and you’ve finally been with the company long enough to get a raise. Several underperforming co-workers have been given bonuses and raises, so it’s a given you’ll get one too, right?

Wrong.

You, and other top performing employees you’re close with, are ignored.

So you keep coming back to work (you’ve rarely missed a day and never missed a big meeting) and a big sale is crumbling at the last moment. You’re frustrated — really frustrated — and you and your boss have a brief yelling match back in the office. But it’s no big deal, you and your boss say it’s water under the bridge and you both mean it. There’s mutual respect there.

But the CEO wants a word with you. Again. And he says some things that finally send you over the edge. You ask to be released from your employment contract so that another company can buy you out. The work culture has become toxic and you’ve just had enough.

And through all of this — in the back of your mind — you know your second child is due any day now.

This is Jalen Ramsey’s situation with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the microscope over him has got to go away.

He called out sick, was diagnosed by team doctors, and it turned out to be legitimate.

He told the team his back and hamstrings were continuing to hurt him (as he told them Thursday night) and it turned out that was legitimate too.

He’s going home to be there for the birth of his child.

The daily reading of the tea leaves of how an interaction with someone a week ago relates to this other thing that happened two days later and how that all ties in with what happened today are weird and gross.

And, frankly, I’m surprised Jalen has handled it as well as he has. Because if I were in the above situation, I’d have snapped and gone AWOL by now.