With greater awareness, some NFL players are walking away from the game in hopes of better preserving their long-term health. Former linebackers Chris Borland (49ers) and AJ Tarpley (Bills) recently retired due to concussion concerns after just one NFL season. Indeed, it appears that increasingly, football players and the leagues they play in are being forced to face the consequences of concussions.
John Urschel is 14th player to retire at age 30 or younger this offseason. Twenty players retired at 30 or younger during 2016 offseason.
The issue has understandably been on the NFL’s radar for some time now, and in 2012 they pledged $30 million to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on brain injuries.