Chris Borland is a 24 year old NFL player, that retired due to various health concerns. He was a rookie linebacker for the 49er’s and at a training camp he left with a mild concussion. Borland believes his health is more important than the millions an NFL player makes. He played through the injury and was a very succesful rookie linebaker, but the thought of permanent brain damage is discouraging him to continue his football career. After talking to a lot of friends and family and reading information about concussions Chris Borland finally made the decision to retire from the NFL.
I think this was a wake up call for the safety of football players. Borlands retirement is rising awareness even more for concussions and the health of people. Personally Chris seems like he loves football but the concussions were starting to put a toll on his body and he didn’t want any more damage that could be permanent. People will always love football, but the popularity might go down due to mental health. It is also a proven fact that retired NFL players that have been in the game for a while develop memory and cognative problems , which can also lead to Alzheimer’s and depression. All these issues are serious concerns, but i think Chris set a good tone for the safety of the NFL and made a great decision.
The next step the NFL has to take is either changing rules on safety or having better safety eqiupment. Instead of them investing money on new jerseys and upgrading stadiums, the NFL Association should protect their clients/players. It really shows people are corrupt and care about money a lot more than people’s well being and that is sad, but Chris Borland made a great point and I think this will be a turning point for the NFL and the safety of the organization.
