Anthony Davis, a 25-year-old linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, announced Friday that he’ll be sitting out the next football season in order to heal his body.
“After a few years of thought, I’ve decided it will be best for me to take a year or so away from the NFL. This will be a time for me to allow my Brain and Body a chance to heal. I know many won’t understand my decision, that’s ok,” Davis said in an official statement obtained by ESPN sports writer Adam Schefter. “Im [sic] simply doing what’s best for my body as well as my mental health at this time in my life.”
Following the announcement, ProFootballTalk.com reported Davis will return the $4.66 million bonus money he received upon signing his contract.
With his temporary retirement, Davis joins a growing list of football players putting their careers on hold for precautionary reasons, in spite of the glorification of athletes who play through the pain. In March, 24-year-old Chris Borland, another 49ers linebacker, decided to retire as a “proactive” measure — one year after joining the league.
“I’m concerned that if you wait ’til 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,” he said. A University of Michigan lineman bowed out two weeks later, sharing similar concerns.
Extensive research indicates football players are likely to face serious health consequences down the road. For example, the U.S. government concluded former NFL players are four times more likely to die from brain diseases, such as Alzheimers and ALS, than the rest of the population. Another study indicates that multiple concussions sustained during NFL players’ careers can lead to depression.
Back in 2013, after thousands of former football players filed a lawsuit against the NFL for downplaying concussions and brain injuries, the league agreed to compensate former players for their injuries and provide thorough medical examinations. But the $765 million settlement’s terms provided that the NFL did not have to publicly implicate itself for minimizing the risks of long-term brain trauma.
Concern about sports-related brain injuries isn’t limited to the NFL. The National Hockey League (NHL) is also dealing with concussion-related lawsuits, involving former hockey players who’ve suffered from brain diseases and trauma. Concussions are routinely ignored in the soccer world as well. And the NCAA was accused in a 2013 lawsuit of intentionally overlooking college athletes’ concussions. As for basketball, an NBA player blacked out on the court last year, but opted to stay in the game. However, the league has adopted a proactive policy to deal with athletes’ concussions.