49ers LB Chris Borland retires

[Johnny English]

After one (pretty good) season in the NFL. Concerned about concussions and doesn't think it's worth it.

[Heismanberg]

wow

[casman02]

Can we just start a 2015 retirement thread?

[Heismanberg]

Can we just start a 2015 retirement thread?

49ers LB Retirement Thread

[Libero_2]

I think this is going to start happen more and more. Obviously his opinion clearly changed from going through the draft process in the past year. I wonder if Patrick Willis decision adjusted his thinking as well.

[Johnny English]

Steiny can be a dumbass at times.

Jake Steinberg ‏@Steiny31  3m3 minutes ago
Worilds, Locker, Borland, Patrick Willis. Got a feeling this is a trend we're gonna be seeing more and more of.

What does Jason Worilds becoming a god botherer or Jake Locker having shoulders made of papier mache have to do with Chris Borland's fear of getting his head caved in?

[Johnny English]

I think this is going to start happen more and more. Obviously his opinion clearly changed from going through the draft process in the past year. I wonder if Patrick Willis decision adjusted his thinking as well.

What's going to start happening more and more?

[NDMick]

I think this is going to start happen more and more. Obviously his opinion clearly changed from going through the draft process in the past year. I wonder if Patrick Willis decision adjusted his thinking as well.

I loving it. I wish they'd come clean and just say, "freak this league, because I know I won't be taken care by their healthcare policies when I'm older and drooling on myself. I'll take a 9 to 5 and live 'til 80."

[Heismanberg]

What's going to start happening more and more?

Players are going to start retiring earlier. 

[Johnny English]

Players are going to start retiring earlier. 

I'm not sure about that. You'll get the occasional early retiree but I don't know that this is going to become the norm. Borland's much smaller than the average linebacker as well, so he's going to take more damage than someone with four inches and 20 pounds more. You can't really compare to Willis because he's 30 years old with millions in the bank.

I don't think less of Borland for the decision he has made but I don't think it will be at all commonplace.

[Andrew Ryan]

Until players decide that making millions upon millions of dollars is not worth the risk of suffering permanent brain damage, I don't expect this to become a regular occurrence.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

I loving it. I wish they'd come clean and just say, "freak this league, because I know I won't be taken care by their healthcare policies when I'm older and drooling on myself. I'll take a 9 to 5 and live 'til 80."

Yep.  The league has gotten a bit better about its retired players, but a lot more needs to be done to help these guys evaluate their lives outside the game.  It's awful watching what can happen as far as lifelong damage after even an injury free career.

Of course, this point is lost on an awful lot of people.  JE said to me recently that he doesn't give a freak about lifetime suffering because he doesn't consider them people.  Just things that have been paid well to suffer massive lifelong pain for his enjoyment.

There has to be a balance between preserving the enjoyment of the league and taking care of the people who make it great.

[Ignatius J Reilly]

Until players decide that making millions upon millions of dollars is not worth the risk of suffering permanent brain damage, I don't expect this to become a regular occurrence.

It's not just brain damage.  There are so many negative bodily consequences of a playing career.  Bone, joint, tissue, and spinal damage that you didn't even know about while playing.  Everyone in the NFL comes out at least partially disabled.  Everyone.

[Johnny English]

Yep.  The league has gotten a bit better about its retired players, but a lot more needs to be done to help these guys evaluate their lives outside the game.  It's awful watching what can happen as far as lifelong damage after even an injury free career.

Of course, this point is lost on an awful lot of people.  JE said to me recently that he doesn't give a freak about lifetime suffering because he doesn't consider them people.  Just things that have been paid well to suffer massive lifelong pain for his enjoyment.

There has to be a balance between preserving the enjoyment of the league and taking care of the people who make it great.

You didn't really give me a chance to explain myself though. My point was, I cheer for laundry. I'm not going to spend time worrying about guys getting paid millions to cause each other serious injuries, it's for them to figure out. As long as the product is entertaining, I don't really care. Not my problem to solve. You could apply the same logic to boxing or wrestling or motor racing or movie stuntmen or a wide range of other pursuits.

[Pope]

49ers are having a brutal offseason