NFL releases statement on Chris Borland's retirement

NFL releases statement on Chris Borland’s retirement

Nov 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Chris Borland (50) celebrates after a fumble by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (not pictured) in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /

The NFL addressed the former San Francisco 49ers linebacker’s decision to retire and how it relates to player safety.

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Chris Borland’s surprising decision to retire from the NFL at the age of 24 ends a promising career and certainly hurts the San Francisco 49ers in the upcoming season. But Borland could have a much larger impact on the NFL as a whole.

Borland cited concerns over head trauma and his long-term health as his reasons for leaving professional football at such a young age. Improvement in research about the impact of concussions over the past few years has lead to questions about the future of the sport.

NFL Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Policy Jeff Miller released a statement about Borland’s retirement on Tuesday, respecting his decision but indicating that the league is continuing to make significant progress in reducing head injuries. Via Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports:

NFL statement from Jeff Miller on Chris Borland pic.twitter.com/pkgDWKIpCT
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 17, 2015

Despite being undersized, Borland was excellent in his rookie season with the 49ers, drawing some comparisons to Zach Thomas. Borland finishes his career with 108 tackles, one sack, five passes defended and two interceptions.

He joins former teammate Patrick Willis and Jason Worilds of the Pittsburgh Steelers as players to retire at a fairly young age this offseason. Whether Borland is a one-time case or leaves a lasting impact on the NFL remains to be seen, but the league clearly has a lot of work to do with player safety either way.

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