RustyBourneHorse
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After seeing what happened to Tua last night and the fact that he's had a second insurance where he went into a fencing position, I have to ask this question. Should the NFL have a mandatory retirement for concussions? I'm not saying one concussion does a player in. But, if a player has the amount of concussions Tua has had to where he has had a second instance of fencing, I can't help but wonder if the player should be entered into a mandatory retirement protocol. I would argue that after one fencing position, the player should be required to sit the remainder of the year. If there's a second fencing position, then I think the player should be forced to retire.
The NFL PA should have some sort of deal with the NFL where if this happens, the entirety of the contract should be paid out, and the player should be granted an extended period of the NFL's insurance policy for life due to the neurological issues that sort of concussion can cause.
What scares me about Tua is the possibility of seeing him die on the field. Watching what happened with Hamlin was terrifying. Yet, that was a rare circumstance. I read every so often about head injuries killing players in HS. Here's a recent article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...high-school-football-player-dies/75101348007/.
"Christopher Garcia, a 16-year-old junior at South East High School in South Gate, died after suffering a brain injury during an Aug. 23 home game, according to information from family and the Los Angeles Unified School District."
Obviously, first and foremost, prayers for the family of Christopher Garcia. That said, this happened a few weeks ago.
Here's another: https://www.___GET_REAL_URL___/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna168167
"A high school quarterback died after he was tackled and hit his head during a game in Alabama, officials said Monday, in the latest gridiron tragedy to befall a young player.
Caden Tellier, 16, was injured Friday during the third quarter while competing for John T. Morgan Academy, a private school in Selma, as the Senators played host to Southern Academy."
This was published on August 26.
The point is, these are two incidents that happened in HS. Now we are adding in the fact that this is the NFL with Tua. Here's a guy that ESPN's Get Up just stared who's had at least 3 (likely 4) concussions in his NFL career and one in college. Who knows how many he's had in HS? How many other players have had similar concussions to him? The last thing I want to see is him sharing the fate of the two high school players in this thread. Yet, what if he steps back on the field? Obviously, an athlete is going to think they'll be fine.
So, that leads to the question with which I have opened this thread. Should the NFL have a neurologist that can, depending on the amount of concussions, the extent of neurological damage, or any other factors they see fit who can declare a player medically unfit to continue their career? In other words, should there be an NFL neurologist or an independent neurologist who can order a mandatory retirement for a player, which kicks in the benefits that I think the NFLPA should put forth? I think the answer should be yes. Obviously, we enjoy watching these athletes play the game. Watching Tua is why players earn what they earn. That said, it may be time for the NFL to do right by the players and have a neurologist who can order a player to retire, and the player receive sufficient benefits in the case of a concussion-based retirement.
The NFL PA should have some sort of deal with the NFL where if this happens, the entirety of the contract should be paid out, and the player should be granted an extended period of the NFL's insurance policy for life due to the neurological issues that sort of concussion can cause.
What scares me about Tua is the possibility of seeing him die on the field. Watching what happened with Hamlin was terrifying. Yet, that was a rare circumstance. I read every so often about head injuries killing players in HS. Here's a recent article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...high-school-football-player-dies/75101348007/.
"Christopher Garcia, a 16-year-old junior at South East High School in South Gate, died after suffering a brain injury during an Aug. 23 home game, according to information from family and the Los Angeles Unified School District."
Obviously, first and foremost, prayers for the family of Christopher Garcia. That said, this happened a few weeks ago.
Here's another: https://www.___GET_REAL_URL___/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna168167
"A high school quarterback died after he was tackled and hit his head during a game in Alabama, officials said Monday, in the latest gridiron tragedy to befall a young player.
Caden Tellier, 16, was injured Friday during the third quarter while competing for John T. Morgan Academy, a private school in Selma, as the Senators played host to Southern Academy."
This was published on August 26.
The point is, these are two incidents that happened in HS. Now we are adding in the fact that this is the NFL with Tua. Here's a guy that ESPN's Get Up just stared who's had at least 3 (likely 4) concussions in his NFL career and one in college. Who knows how many he's had in HS? How many other players have had similar concussions to him? The last thing I want to see is him sharing the fate of the two high school players in this thread. Yet, what if he steps back on the field? Obviously, an athlete is going to think they'll be fine.
So, that leads to the question with which I have opened this thread. Should the NFL have a neurologist that can, depending on the amount of concussions, the extent of neurological damage, or any other factors they see fit who can declare a player medically unfit to continue their career? In other words, should there be an NFL neurologist or an independent neurologist who can order a mandatory retirement for a player, which kicks in the benefits that I think the NFLPA should put forth? I think the answer should be yes. Obviously, we enjoy watching these athletes play the game. Watching Tua is why players earn what they earn. That said, it may be time for the NFL to do right by the players and have a neurologist who can order a player to retire, and the player receive sufficient benefits in the case of a concussion-based retirement.
