49ers Linebacker Chris Borland Retires for Safety Concerns

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland told Outside the Lines on Monday that he is retiring from the NFL at the age of 23 because of concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma.

“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health… From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” Borland stated. He claims he made this decision after doing research about the connection between football and neurodegenerative disease as well as consulting with family members, concussion researchers, friends and current and former teammates. “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.”

Trent Baalke, General Manager of The San Fransisco 49ers, confirmed Borland’s departure with a statement:

“While unexpected, we certainly respect Chris’ decision. From speaking with Chris, it was evident that he had put a great deal of thought into this decision. He was a consummate professional from day one and a very well-respected member of our team and community. Chris is a determined young man that overcame long odds in his journey to the NFL, and we are confident he will use the same approach to become very successful in his future endeavors. We will always consider him a 49er and wish him all the best.”

Borland became a key part of the 49ers defense once he replaced Patrick Willis after 6 games in the 2014 season. in 14 games with 8 starts Borland recorded 107 tackles, a sack, and 2 interceptions; both of which came in week 11 against The New York Giants. Borland was the first rookie to ever record 2 interceptions in a game for San Francisco’s franchise history.

Borland’s retirement is just another chapter in the concerning story of player safety in the NFL. Jeff Miller, the NFL senior V.P. of health and safety policy issued a statement of his own regarding Borland’s retirement:

“We respect Chris Borland’s decision and wish him all the best. 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.”

Chris Borland was a star player in college, playing for 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 recipient of multiple All-Big Ten honors. He becomes one of the youngest players to retire from the NFL due to health concerns.