NFL Postseason Megathread: Playoffs in the Post-Orton Era

[Sophie Scholl]

Yessir.  I've a bit of local affection for the Bills as well.  The Raiders are my first and true love and the Browns part of my Cleveland love and a more recent pick up.

Please tell me you at least also picked up the Cavs.

Kind of.  I'm not a huge basketball fan.  It was fun to be in Cleveland at the end of January in the midst of a homestand and win streak for the Cavs though.  I would say that what little I care about the NBA, I root for LeBron, Kyrie, and co.

[dps]

The Eagles had Tom Tebow in for a workout.  Chip Kelly apparently had some sort of undisclosed brain trauma since the end of last season.

[Berkut]

I still cannot believe he got rid of Foles for...who was that they got in place of him? I forget.

[The Minsky Moment]

I still cannot believe he got rid of Foles for...who was that they got in place of him? I forget.

Fools

[Admiral Yi]

Bradford is not *that* bad.  Course I haven't watched a Rams game in about three years.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Bradford is not *that* bad.  Course I haven't watched a Rams game in about three years.

Well hell, I think for a year and a half of that, Bradford didn't even play.

[sbr]

24 year old, second year player Chris Borland is retiring due to concerns of brain injury.  He is the 4th 30 or younger non-scrub (no idea if Jake Locker is a scrub, but he would have gotten a lot of money to hold a clipboard at least) to retire in the last week.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12496480/san-francisco-49ers-linebacker-chris-borland-retires-head-injury-concerns

BERKELEY, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, one of the NFL's top rookies last season, told "Outside the Lines" on Monday that he is retiring because of concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma.

Borland, 24, said he notified the 49ers on Friday. He said he made his decision after consulting with family members, concussion researchers, friends and current and former teammates, and studying what is known about the relationship between football and neurodegenerative disease.

"I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland told "Outside the Lines." "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk."

Borland becomes the most prominent NFL player to leave the game in his prime because of concerns about brain injuries. More than 70 former players have been diagnosed with progressive neurological disease following their deaths, and numerous studies have shown a connection between the repetitive head trauma associated with football, brain damage and issues such as depression and memory loss.

"I feel largely the same, as sharp as I've ever been, for me it's wanting to be proactive," said Borland. "I'm concerned that if you wait till you have symptoms, it's too late. ... There are a lot of unknowns. I can't claim that X will happen. I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don't want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise."

Borland was expected to be a key part of the 49ers defense this season after the retirement last week of All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis. Borland replaced Willis, 30, after six games last season; Willis had sustained a toe injury.

Willis' retirement had no role in his decision, Borland said.

Borland said there was no chance he would change his mind. The third-round draft pick who starred at the University of Wisconsin said he has had just two diagnosed concussions: one while playing soccer in the eighth grade, the other playing football as a sophomore in high school.

Borland, who is listed at 5-foot-11, 248 pounds, earned accolades for his aggressiveness and instincts at inside linebacker. He had 107 tackles and a sack in 14 games, eight of them starts. He was the NFC's defensive player of the week for his performance against the New York Giants in Week 11. He led the team with 13 tackles in that game and became the first 49ers rookie linebacker in history with two interceptions in one game. He received one vote for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

His success last season did not make his decision more difficult, Borland said: "I've thought about what I could accomplish in football, but for me personally, when you read about Mike Webster and Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, you read all these stories and to be the type of player I want to be in football, I think I'd have to take on some risks that as a person I don't want to take on." Borland was referring to former NFL greats who were diagnosed with a devastating brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, after their deaths. Duerson and Easterling committed suicide.

Borland said he began to have misgivings during training camp. He said he sustained what he believed to be a concussion stuffing a running play but played through it, in part because he was trying to make the team. "I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing? Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with what I've learned and knew about the dangers?'"

He said the issue "gathered steam" as the season progressed. Before the fourth game of the pre-season, at Houston, he wrote a letter to his parents, informing them that he thought that his career in the NFL would be brief because of his concerns about the potential long-term effects of the head injuries.

After the season, Borland said, he consulted with prominent concussion researchers and former players to affirm his decision. He also scheduled baseline tests to monitor his neurological wellbeing going forward "and contribute to the greater research." After thinking through the potential repercussions, Borland said the decision was ultimately "simple."

He said part of the reason he waited until now was because he wanted to inform his family and friends, including a few 49er teammates. He said he also wanted to have time to contact the researchers and study the issue further.

Borland, who earned a bachelor's degree in history at the University of Wisconsin, said he plans to return to school and possibly pursue a career in sports management. He had a four-year contract with the 49ers worth just under $3 million, which included a signing bonus of $617,436.

The decision to retire had nothing to do with the 49ers, Borland said. He said that his feelings toward the team and his teammates marked one of the hardest aspects of the decision.

"It's an incredible organization, and they truly looked out for players' best interests," he said.

Borland is the fourth NFL player age 30 or younger to announce his retirement in the past week. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds, 27, said he retired "after much thought and consideration" to pursue "other interests." Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, 26, said he left the game because he no longer had "the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living."

Willis said he retired due to constant pain in his feet, among other reasons. He was placed on the season-ending injured reserve Nov. 11 after getting hurt on Oct. 13.

Borland had a decorated career at Wisconsin, where he was named the Big Ten's defensive player of the year and linebacker of the year as a senior. He was a first-team All-American selection and multiple recipient of All-Big Ten honors.

[dps]

Bradford is not *that* bad.  Course I haven't watched a Rams game in about three years.

Bradford's not that bad, no.  The problem is that he gets hurts all the time.  If you haven't watched a Rams game in about 3 years, you haven't missed very many Bradford starts.

[katmai]

Well I think with that announcement LB becomes top priority in draft as not sure anybody is left in free agents for Niners.

[Sophie Scholl]

I legitimately feel bad for the Niners and their linebacker crew of doom disappearing.  I was a huge Patrick Willis fan and liked the group they were assembling.  This offseason has been devastating to them.  I will always wonder if Willis could have become the new Ray Lewis as my Niners friend and I foresaw/hoped before his early retirement.  I understand and support the decisions of those who don't want to be permanently disabled for their efforts in the game, but I will also always wonder what could have been.

[Admiral Yi]

Why is he retiring?  Concussions?

[Valmy]

Why is he retiring?  Concussions?

Lost passion for the game supposedly.

Edit: Oh I thought you were talking about Willis. Yes Borland is retiring due to brain injuries. Sad way for a promising career to end.

[MadBurgerMaker]

I wonder if Borland has to pay back any money.  Either way, can't really blame him, or any of them, for the decision. 

[sbr]

Why is he retiring?  Concussions?

Fear of concussions.  He says he has had 2 'documented' concussions, one in 8th grade.

Borland said he began to have misgivings during training camp. He said he sustained what he believed to be a concussion stuffing a running play but played through it, in part because he was trying to make the team. "I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing? Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with what I've learned and knew about the dangers?

'"

[Admiral Yi]

I thought we were talking about Willis.