Telvin Smith on Instagram: 'I'm never leaving Duval'

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith resurfaced on social media Monday night, saying in an Instagram live post that he doesn’t plan on leaving Duval County.

Smith’s whereabouts have been in question since he didn’t show up to voluntary minicamp and drew the ire of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin. Coach Doug Marrone said that he reached out to Smith, but never heard back.

That, coupled with Coughlin's statement, prompted trade talk as well as if the Jaguars were planning to cut Smith. 

“Understand this, I never left Duval, I’m never leaving Duval, it’s Duval til we die, you understand me,” Smith said in the post, “Y’all seen trade rumors and stuff. Y’all seen me go anywhere? Exactly. Yall seen the rumors go somewhere, but y’all ain't seen me go no where cause I ain’t going nowhere, you understand me?

“I promise y’all this; ain't nothing about Telvin Smith leaving Duval. Ever.”

Smith’s absence and silence prompted concerns that his time in a Jaguars uniform were over. But, as Smith said, that’s not the case.  

Smith has been one of the best draft picks in Jaguars history, amassing 586 tackles and nine interceptions in his career. He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2014.