Borland's Surprise Retirement Begs The Question: Will More In The NFL Leave Over Concussion Concerns? Lions Player Weighs In
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - The surprising retirement of 24-year-old San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, who cited concerns about concussions as his reason for walking away from the game, has prompted many to wonder about the future of football.
Most players stay in the game until no teams want them, but Borland is one of several who recently decided to leave on his own terms.
26-year-old quarterback Jake Locker, who spent the last four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, announced his retirement earlier this month. 27-year-old linebacker Jason Worilds, after five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, retired a day later. As free agents, both were in line for substantial paydays.
Borland turned in a great rookie season in 2014, playing in 14 games and recording 107 tackles, a sack, two interceptions and five passes defended. Had he continued on that path, Borland likely would have signed a contract for tens of millions in a few years.
When Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis first heard the news of Borland's retirement, he thought perhaps there were other factors involved.
Taking the decision at face value, however, Mathis did not have a problem with it.
"Health is always something that you have to consider," Mathis said. "To each his own.
"He's a man, and he made a decision to retire after one year," Mathis added. "That means he has other means for his life. He has another way to make a living. That's what this game is, just a way for us to make a living. That's how we treat it. It's a business for us. So if you have another business opportunity and you're able to make an honest living of it, I don't see anything wrong with going the other way."
The connection between football and head trauma has received significant attention in recent years. More than 4,500 former players filed suit against the NFL, claiming it hid the dangers of concussions. The book "League of Denial" laid out years of the league's refusal to acknowledge the link between football-related hits to the head and brain trauma. Tragic stories of suffering former players, including several who have committed suicide, have brought light to the issue more than anything else.
Obviously, the league as a business has not suffered, as the NFL is still by far the most powerful league in America. If the effects of head trauma in some former players have caused football's popularity to wane, they have seemingly done so by a negligible amount.
With awareness of the risks increasing, however, particularly given the retirement of Borland, some speculate that more parents will steer their children away from football. They wonder whether, eventually, most people playing in the NFL will be those whose other options were few.
Mathis believes concern about head trauma might keep some people from pursuing football as a career, but he doubts it will impact the league in a tangible way.
"I don't think it'll be that big of a trend," Mathis said. "Certain individuals will always play football. Football will always have the best athletic people in the world just because of what it takes to play it.
"Financial status going into it might determine whether you decide to pick it up or not, maybe," Mathis added, "but at the same time, you have some of the wealthiest people in the world who love this game and would love for their child to play this game, so there's two sides of the coin, and it just depends on what side you flip. You can argue both sides. This is the greatest game in the world. It nets more money than any other business in the world for a reason, and I feel it will continue to do so."
