After just one NFL season, San Francisco linebacker Chris Borland, who looked like the future of the 49ers' defense, will retire out of concerns about the long-term effects of brain injuries.
Borland, 24, revealed his surprising decision Monday on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" after informing the 49ers of his intentions Friday. The 49ers later announced his retirement.
"I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland said. "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk."
Borland cited a fear of developing a brain disease like former NFL players Mike Webster, Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, all of whom were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is caused by repeated head trauma, after their deaths.
"I feel largely the same, as sharp as I've ever been, for me it's wanting to be proactive," Borland said. "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."
Though he never suffered a head injury in an NFL game, Borland said he had been concussed while playing soccer in eighth grade and football in high school.
However, Borland also spoke of the pressure to stay on the field after suffering what he believed to be an undiagnosed concussion in training camp. Borland said he kept playing because he didn't want to get cut.
