Smith says his comments were "shallow, ignorant, immature"

Steve Smith told Sports Illustrated earlier this summer that he would be “going after” Giants safety Michael Johnson in the regular-season opener. That was because it was Johnson who popped Smith the last time the two teams met, breaking Smith’s forearm and ending his season.

Does he still want a piece of Johnson?

“I just need to have more respect for my opponent,” a contrite Smith said today in a conference call with the New York press. “What I said in the summer was shallow, ignorant, immature and really of no need. I don’t need to be that way, and I’m not going to be that way to my opponents anymore.”

Apparently Smith is now letting bygones be bygones. Or maybe he just looked at the Giants’ depth chart and realized that Johnson is the team’s fourth safety and probably won’t even dress for Sunday’s game.