SF's Borland quits over safety issues
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shaunpinney
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Brave decision, we wish you well in whatever you chose to do next...
RAMBUSH
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aussie rules is a completely different game. they just kick it around and when it hits the ground they fight for it like seagulls fighting over a piece of scrap food. it is the king of the crack back tackle though. no comparison.
rugby union is worse. non stop kicking, line outs and mauls. when they do run the ball once in a while i'm asleep by then so there's not that many big hitting.
rugby league is the best comparison to the nfl. alot of big hits, heavy collisions and they see them coming so they give as good as they get. there are concussion protocols now in the game but they haven't really made that big a deal about it yet. i'm sure that will change as time goes on.
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Good for him. Football is a brutal sport. May he enjoy a long and injury free life.
For us as fans, we should enjoy every game we watch, because the game we love will not be around forever. At least, not as we know it. It's reasons for popularity and it's eventual demise are one in the same.
For us as fans, we should enjoy every game we watch, because the game we love will not be around forever. At least, not as we know it. It's reasons for popularity and it's eventual demise are one in the same.
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- Haole
My local sports radio guys were just talking about this. According to them, he has only had 2 concussions in his life. Only 1 of them happened while playing football.
Guess what sport he was playing when he sustained the other....
SOCCER
Guess what sport he was playing when he sustained the other....
SOCCER
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A few thoughts on this:
1] Good for him... tough decision because...
2] He was on a rookie contract, right? A little less than 500K? This decision came before any of the "I'm set for life" contracts. Makes me think he read tiings that really scared him.... what if...
3] Other players may come to the same conclusion... maybe they wait until they get the "I'm set for life" contract, then make this decision.
If that were to happen, the league could be transformed and need to make serious changes
4] If Harbaugh were still there, think this gets "ironed out" and he still plays? That new HC is getting pummeled.
5] So sorry to see that this is all happening to San Francisco
1] Good for him... tough decision because...
2] He was on a rookie contract, right? A little less than 500K? This decision came before any of the "I'm set for life" contracts. Makes me think he read tiings that really scared him.... what if...
3] Other players may come to the same conclusion... maybe they wait until they get the "I'm set for life" contract, then make this decision.
If that were to happen, the league could be transformed and need to make serious changes
4] If Harbaugh were still there, think this gets "ironed out" and he still plays? That new HC is getting pummeled.
5] So sorry to see that this is all happening to San Francisco
Irish
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To all of the snarky commentors in this thread, just remember that Chris Borland is not the only person in the entire NFL who has had misgivings about risking life and limb for a sport that, ultimately, just chews you up and spits you out.
There is at least 1 player on every team. They may just be a special teams player, or a 3rd RB, or a first round franchise changing player, but they are sitting at home, looking at a calendar knowing that they have basically 2 months before they put themselves through hell again, and they are now having tough conversations with friends and loved ones about this very thing.
There is at least 1 player on every team. They may just be a special teams player, or a 3rd RB, or a first round franchise changing player, but they are sitting at home, looking at a calendar knowing that they have basically 2 months before they put themselves through hell again, and they are now having tough conversations with friends and loved ones about this very thing.
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Curious to see what he does with his life. Would be a bit hypocritical if he stayed in football in some capacity, be it coaching, scouting, broadcasting etc...
But end of the day, the lottery ticket these athletes get to punch is the Bachelors Degree they can earn if they keep their head on straight
But end of the day, the lottery ticket these athletes get to punch is the Bachelors Degree they can earn if they keep their head on straight
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Not sure why it would be a bit hypocritical.
Say you're an Engineer with Ford.
You see a few really bad accidents over the years as an Engineer.
Then, you get into a bad accident.
Should you quit the automotive industry because of those experiences?
Maybe he could teach players better technique... or speak about it (not incessantly) on broadcasts...
Football has been his craft for years (like engineering automobiles)... it's his "expertise"...staying in the industry is hypocritical?
I wouldn't see it that way if he found a job within the industry.
Say you're an Engineer with Ford.
You see a few really bad accidents over the years as an Engineer.
Then, you get into a bad accident.
Should you quit the automotive industry because of those experiences?
Maybe he could teach players better technique... or speak about it (not incessantly) on broadcasts...
Football has been his craft for years (like engineering automobiles)... it's his "expertise"...staying in the industry is hypocritical?
I wouldn't see it that way if he found a job within the industry.
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- Peter
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ying-in-game-when-hearts-not-in-it-dangerous/
Jake Plummer: Staying in game when heart’s not in it dangerous
Posted by Darin Gantt on March 17, 2015
Getty Images
There was already a small-but-growing trend of NFL players walking away in their primes, with last week’s decisions of Patrick Willis, Jason Worilds and Jake Locker to leave the game for varying reasons.
But when 49ers linebacker Chris Borland chose to step away from the game last night, it shined a new light on the decisions players have to make as it pertains to their current and future happiness.
Former Cardinals and Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer understands, having retired at the age of 32.
“My heart wasn’t in it, and you can’t play this game without 100 percent heart and soul into it,” Plummer told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “If you try, you are going to get hurt and you’re also cheating the game, your teammates. And that’s the beauty of the football, it’s a team game.
“People ask me all the time if I miss it and I say, ‘You’re damn right I miss it. I’ll miss playing it until the day I die.’
“But, God, I wouldn’t go back to playing with what my life holds now, my family, my kids.”
While Plummer had a much longer run than Borland, there was also a clear financial component that could have forced him back. The Buccaneers traded for his rights in 2007, and he had to repay them $3.5 million to stay away.
“Everybody has different things going on in their lives, and football ranks differently for everyone,” Plummer said. “For some guys, it’s the most important thing in their lives, and for other guys, it’s three or four notches down. It’s hard to say what guys are weighing [retirement] on. But I applaud them if that’s what they feel in their heart.”
Whether the decision was made with the heart or the head, the growing number of such calls has to be a concern to the league.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/17/borland-situation-creates-new-challenge-for-scouts/
Borland situation creates new challenge for scouts
Posted by Mike Florio on March 17, 2015
Getty Images
Obviously, the 49ers wouldn’t have used a third-round pick on linebacker Chris Borland in 2014 if they’d had an inkling he may call it a career after only one season. Borland’s decision introduces a new complexity for scouts — determining whether a player may decide to walk away from the game prematurely.
There may be no way of spotting a propensity to choose to retire early, especially since the phenomenon is new and still too rare to allow teams to articulate potential factors. But in San Francisco, G.M. Trent Baalke undoubtedly has been asking himself whether he missed whatever evidence there may have been to indicate that Borland may not be long for the NFL.
Moving forward, look for teams to try to come up with ways to ensure that players on whom a draft pick will be invested will be invested in the profession. Already, many scouts focus on whether a player truly loves football. Borland’s decision raises the stakes for teams intent on finding players who have a high level of devotion to the sport.
“No offense to anyone but I’m playing until I can’t anymore. I love this game too much,” Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said on Twitter in reaction to the news. That’s what teams will be looking for, especially in guys who play positions susceptible to concussions.
Ultimately, some teams may decide there’s no way to know how players who have never played NFL football will react to the intensity of the highest level of the game. A kid who loves football after playing in high school and college may decide after getting a taste of it at the professional level that it’s not something they want to do for as long as they physically can.
But regardless of whether there is or isn’t a way to flag a player who may retire after only one NFL season, the Borland situation underscores the importance of at least raising the question before using the pick. After the pick has been used and the player surprises everyone by retiring, the question definitely will be raised internally regarding whether the G.M., the director of college scouting, and anyone else whose fingerprints are on the pick should have seen it coming before the player was drafted.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...is-borlands-retirement-with-surprise-respect/
Players react to Chris Borland’s retirement with surprise, respect
Posted by Michael David Smith
Getty Images
The shocking news that 49ers linebacker Chris Borland will retire from the NFL after one season because he’s concerned about concussions was met with surprise throughout the football world. But many players reacted by saying they respected Borland — even as they said they wouldn’t do the same thing.
Dozens of NFL players shared their reactions on Twitter, with most saying that they think Borland is doing the right thing if he no longer believes the rewards of the NFL are worth the risks. At the same time, Borland’s decision to quit after one year is clearly not the decision most players would make.
Borland’s fellow 49ers linebacker Chase Thomas wrote, “Shocked to hear the news about my dude Borland, but I totally understand his decision to retire. Much respect.”
Another 49er, cornerback Tramaine Brock, said, “I understand but still shocked.”
Colts long snapper Matt Overton wrote, “Guys deciding to walk away from the game at a young age is a great reminder to us all that life has a bigger picture. I wish them the best!”
“WOW. I loved Chris Borland’s game but I can’t fault him for calling it quits,” Rams defensive end Chris Long wrote. “His concerns are real. Still it takes a man to do the logical. I don’t feel bad for Borland. I feel happy for him. He’s made a tough choice.”
Said Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, “Pleasure playing with you, Chris Borland [at Wisconsin] and against you for the 49ers. Praying for you.”
But while players didn’t criticize Borland’s retirement, they wouldn’t walk away this early themselves.
Said Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, “No offense to anyone but I’m playing until I can’t anymore. I love this game too much.”
Wagner’s opinion is how most players feel: The vast majority of players play until they can’t anymore. But Borland’s decision, along with the retirements of Patrick Willis and Jason Worilds, may show that an increasingly significant number of players would rather walk away too soon instead of too late.
Jake Plummer: Staying in game when heart’s not in it dangerous
Posted by Darin Gantt on March 17, 2015
There was already a small-but-growing trend of NFL players walking away in their primes, with last week’s decisions of Patrick Willis, Jason Worilds and Jake Locker to leave the game for varying reasons.
But when 49ers linebacker Chris Borland chose to step away from the game last night, it shined a new light on the decisions players have to make as it pertains to their current and future happiness.
Former Cardinals and Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer understands, having retired at the age of 32.
“My heart wasn’t in it, and you can’t play this game without 100 percent heart and soul into it,” Plummer told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “If you try, you are going to get hurt and you’re also cheating the game, your teammates. And that’s the beauty of the football, it’s a team game.
“People ask me all the time if I miss it and I say, ‘You’re damn right I miss it. I’ll miss playing it until the day I die.’
“But, God, I wouldn’t go back to playing with what my life holds now, my family, my kids.”
While Plummer had a much longer run than Borland, there was also a clear financial component that could have forced him back. The Buccaneers traded for his rights in 2007, and he had to repay them $3.5 million to stay away.
“Everybody has different things going on in their lives, and football ranks differently for everyone,” Plummer said. “For some guys, it’s the most important thing in their lives, and for other guys, it’s three or four notches down. It’s hard to say what guys are weighing [retirement] on. But I applaud them if that’s what they feel in their heart.”
Whether the decision was made with the heart or the head, the growing number of such calls has to be a concern to the league.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/17/borland-situation-creates-new-challenge-for-scouts/
Borland situation creates new challenge for scouts
Posted by Mike Florio on March 17, 2015
Obviously, the 49ers wouldn’t have used a third-round pick on linebacker Chris Borland in 2014 if they’d had an inkling he may call it a career after only one season. Borland’s decision introduces a new complexity for scouts — determining whether a player may decide to walk away from the game prematurely.
There may be no way of spotting a propensity to choose to retire early, especially since the phenomenon is new and still too rare to allow teams to articulate potential factors. But in San Francisco, G.M. Trent Baalke undoubtedly has been asking himself whether he missed whatever evidence there may have been to indicate that Borland may not be long for the NFL.
Moving forward, look for teams to try to come up with ways to ensure that players on whom a draft pick will be invested will be invested in the profession. Already, many scouts focus on whether a player truly loves football. Borland’s decision raises the stakes for teams intent on finding players who have a high level of devotion to the sport.
“No offense to anyone but I’m playing until I can’t anymore. I love this game too much,” Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said on Twitter in reaction to the news. That’s what teams will be looking for, especially in guys who play positions susceptible to concussions.
Ultimately, some teams may decide there’s no way to know how players who have never played NFL football will react to the intensity of the highest level of the game. A kid who loves football after playing in high school and college may decide after getting a taste of it at the professional level that it’s not something they want to do for as long as they physically can.
But regardless of whether there is or isn’t a way to flag a player who may retire after only one NFL season, the Borland situation underscores the importance of at least raising the question before using the pick. After the pick has been used and the player surprises everyone by retiring, the question definitely will be raised internally regarding whether the G.M., the director of college scouting, and anyone else whose fingerprints are on the pick should have seen it coming before the player was drafted.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...is-borlands-retirement-with-surprise-respect/
Players react to Chris Borland’s retirement with surprise, respect
Posted by Michael David Smith
The shocking news that 49ers linebacker Chris Borland will retire from the NFL after one season because he’s concerned about concussions was met with surprise throughout the football world. But many players reacted by saying they respected Borland — even as they said they wouldn’t do the same thing.
Dozens of NFL players shared their reactions on Twitter, with most saying that they think Borland is doing the right thing if he no longer believes the rewards of the NFL are worth the risks. At the same time, Borland’s decision to quit after one year is clearly not the decision most players would make.
Borland’s fellow 49ers linebacker Chase Thomas wrote, “Shocked to hear the news about my dude Borland, but I totally understand his decision to retire. Much respect.”
Another 49er, cornerback Tramaine Brock, said, “I understand but still shocked.”
Colts long snapper Matt Overton wrote, “Guys deciding to walk away from the game at a young age is a great reminder to us all that life has a bigger picture. I wish them the best!”
“WOW. I loved Chris Borland’s game but I can’t fault him for calling it quits,” Rams defensive end Chris Long wrote. “His concerns are real. Still it takes a man to do the logical. I don’t feel bad for Borland. I feel happy for him. He’s made a tough choice.”
Said Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, “Pleasure playing with you, Chris Borland [at Wisconsin] and against you for the 49ers. Praying for you.”
But while players didn’t criticize Borland’s retirement, they wouldn’t walk away this early themselves.
Said Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, “No offense to anyone but I’m playing until I can’t anymore. I love this game too much.”
Wagner’s opinion is how most players feel: The vast majority of players play until they can’t anymore. But Borland’s decision, along with the retirements of Patrick Willis and Jason Worilds, may show that an increasingly significant number of players would rather walk away too soon instead of too late.
fearsomefour
Legend
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- Jan 15, 2013
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- 17,453
Haha.....no I dont. Busted.
I did see a documentary about the head injury rate in rugby in pro English leagues and Australian Rules leagues. Cant remember the name of it, relatively new, should be easy enough to track down online. It was a good film. So, I am basing my statement on that one film, so, not really "fact based" I guess.
I did play one year of Rugby when I lived in SLO....those are some tough SOB's.
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- Feb 9, 2014
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- 20,922
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- Peter
What else are they gonna say?
*************************
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ement-nfl-says-football-has-never-been-safer/
After Borland retirement, NFL says football has never been safer
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 17, 2015
AP
The retirements of Jason Worilds, Jake Locker and Patrick Willis took the NFL by surprise, but didn’t require the league to issue a statement in defense of the game of football. The retirement ofChris Borland was different.
Borland, the 49ers linebacker whose retirement at age 23 has taken everyone by surprise, felt like a more alarming incident to the NFL. And so the league has issued a statement on the matter.
The statement from Jeff Miller, the NFL senior V.P. of health and safety policy, began by showing respect for Borland before turning to a defense of the game.
“We respect Chris Borland’s decision and wish him all the best,” the statement said. “Playing any sport is a personal decision.
“By any measure, football has never been safer and we continue to make progress with rule changes, safer tackling techniques at all levels of football, and better equipment, protocols and medical care for players. Concussions in NFL games were down 25 percent last year, continuing a three-year downward trend. We continue to make significant investments in independent research to advance the science and understanding of these issues.
We are seeing a growing culture of safety. Everyone involved in the game knows that there is more work to do and player safety will continue to be our top priority.”
The NFL’s claim that football has never been safer will be met with some skepticism: Players are indisputably bigger, stronger and faster than they were decades ago, so doesn’t that mean the hits they take must be harder than they were decades ago?
The flip side is that players are getting better medical treatment today, and more rules are in place to protect players from the most dangerous kinds of hits. The league’s data showing a decline in concussions is significant.
But Borland’s retirement has to worry the NFL. If it didn’t, the NFL wouldn’t have felt the need to respond.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/17/on-the-field-borland-is-the-49ers-biggest-loss/
On the field, Borland is the 49ers’ biggest loss
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 17, 2015
AP
The response to the surprise retirement of 49ers linebacker Chris Borland at the age of 23 has focused mostly on what it means to the NFL off the field. To the 49ers on the field, it’s a huge loss.
The 49ers have lost some of their best players this offseason: Frank Gore and Patrick Willis are two of the all-time great players in franchise history, and Gore left in free agency while Willis retired. Also departing are guard Mike Iupati, cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox and linebacker Dan Skuta.
But none of those losses will hurt like Borland. Willis is 30 years old and had an $8 million cap hit this year. Gore is 31 years old and the 49ers would have had to pay him more than $4.5 million to out-bid the Colts for his services. Iupati, Culliver, Cox and Skuta all left for contracts that the 49ers decided they didn’t want to beat.
Borland is a young player with a very inexpensive contract: The 49ers could have kept him on his rookie deal for the next three years and paid him just $800,000 a year. Borland’s retirement will free up only $700,000 of cap space for the 49ers this season. Willis’s retirement will free up $8 million of cap space. It will be a lot easier for the 49ers to find someone who can contribute like Willis for $8 million than it will be to find someone who can contribute like Borland for $700,000.
The 49ers will be a very different team this year than they were last year, from the departure of Jim Harbaugh and most of his coaching staff to the departures of longtime team leaders like Gore and Willis. But as the 49ers try to shake off the rough year they’ve been through and build themselves back into contenders, no loss will hurt more than the loss of Borland.
*************************
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ement-nfl-says-football-has-never-been-safer/
After Borland retirement, NFL says football has never been safer
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 17, 2015
The retirements of Jason Worilds, Jake Locker and Patrick Willis took the NFL by surprise, but didn’t require the league to issue a statement in defense of the game of football. The retirement ofChris Borland was different.
Borland, the 49ers linebacker whose retirement at age 23 has taken everyone by surprise, felt like a more alarming incident to the NFL. And so the league has issued a statement on the matter.
The statement from Jeff Miller, the NFL senior V.P. of health and safety policy, began by showing respect for Borland before turning to a defense of the game.
“We respect Chris Borland’s decision and wish him all the best,” the statement said. “Playing any sport is a personal decision.
“By any measure, football has never been safer and we continue to make progress with rule changes, safer tackling techniques at all levels of football, and better equipment, protocols and medical care for players. Concussions in NFL games were down 25 percent last year, continuing a three-year downward trend. We continue to make significant investments in independent research to advance the science and understanding of these issues.
We are seeing a growing culture of safety. Everyone involved in the game knows that there is more work to do and player safety will continue to be our top priority.”
The NFL’s claim that football has never been safer will be met with some skepticism: Players are indisputably bigger, stronger and faster than they were decades ago, so doesn’t that mean the hits they take must be harder than they were decades ago?
The flip side is that players are getting better medical treatment today, and more rules are in place to protect players from the most dangerous kinds of hits. The league’s data showing a decline in concussions is significant.
But Borland’s retirement has to worry the NFL. If it didn’t, the NFL wouldn’t have felt the need to respond.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/17/on-the-field-borland-is-the-49ers-biggest-loss/
On the field, Borland is the 49ers’ biggest loss
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 17, 2015
The response to the surprise retirement of 49ers linebacker Chris Borland at the age of 23 has focused mostly on what it means to the NFL off the field. To the 49ers on the field, it’s a huge loss.
The 49ers have lost some of their best players this offseason: Frank Gore and Patrick Willis are two of the all-time great players in franchise history, and Gore left in free agency while Willis retired. Also departing are guard Mike Iupati, cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox and linebacker Dan Skuta.
But none of those losses will hurt like Borland. Willis is 30 years old and had an $8 million cap hit this year. Gore is 31 years old and the 49ers would have had to pay him more than $4.5 million to out-bid the Colts for his services. Iupati, Culliver, Cox and Skuta all left for contracts that the 49ers decided they didn’t want to beat.
Borland is a young player with a very inexpensive contract: The 49ers could have kept him on his rookie deal for the next three years and paid him just $800,000 a year. Borland’s retirement will free up only $700,000 of cap space for the 49ers this season. Willis’s retirement will free up $8 million of cap space. It will be a lot easier for the 49ers to find someone who can contribute like Willis for $8 million than it will be to find someone who can contribute like Borland for $700,000.
The 49ers will be a very different team this year than they were last year, from the departure of Jim Harbaugh and most of his coaching staff to the departures of longtime team leaders like Gore and Willis. But as the 49ers try to shake off the rough year they’ve been through and build themselves back into contenders, no loss will hurt more than the loss of Borland.
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- 34,845
- Name
- Stu
It's interesting. Yes they are having increased rates of concussions and injuries in general. Those knuckle draggers brag about just ducking their heads and going for the ball. OK - maybe the whole leather helmet thing won't work.