Injury and health awareness is hitting an all-time high in the NFL and continues to force players into early retirement. New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo is the most recent to call it a career as he announced his decision via Instagram.
InstagramMayo was a two-time Pro-Bowler and the 2008 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. It’s not unusual to see a player retire before the age of 30 anymore, and considering the injuries Mayo has sustained throughout his career, you have to respect the decision he made.
Just a week prior to his 30th birthday, the respected linebacker chose health over football like so many others in the recent years. He’s been placed on injured reserve each of the past three seasons, most recently for a shoulder injury. He’s also torn a pectoral muscle and patellar tendon, both of which ended his season.
Other notable players to go into an early retirement include Patrick Willis, Jason Worilds, Jake Locker, Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Borland. Willis was widely considered one of the league’s top linebackers when he announced his retirement from the game last offseason.
Most of the attention is centered around concussions, but there are many more reasons why players are retiring at such an early age. Even in college football, we’re seeing players call it quits for reasons such as recurring knee injuries. The majority of these professional players have families and want to be able to move with relative ease for the rest of their lives, which is not a realistic expectation when they’re being sidelined year after year with devastating injuries.
It certainly isn’t a positive thing for the game when star players are walking away in their 20s, but you have to applaud an athlete who has the courage to step away from millions of dollars to protect their well-being. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishes Mayo nothing but the best in whatever path he chooses beyond the NFL.
