In the wake of the retirement of former 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, citing concerns about the future of his cognitive health, many wondered if his decision might be the tip of the iceberg. Would his be just one of a growing list of notable players with football left to play who chose to walk away from the game early due to health concerns?
It was a reasonable speculation for many reasons, not the least of which being that it is quicker to make a decent sum of money in the NFL today. But more importantly, players are more informed about their cognitive health than they ever have, and we have indeed seen a number of players retiring recently and acknowledging the role that their concerns for their long-term well-being as a result of playing football played in their decisions.