Stunning news came Monday night from an ESPN report: Chris Borland is retiring from the NFL after one season.
Borland, who graduated from Kettering Alter High School near Dayton, Ohio, is 24. He told ESPN that long-term concerns about head trauma have caused him to make a retirement decision he won't change.
"I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland told ESPN's "Outside the Lines." "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk."
Borland was a third-round pick last May after being named the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season at Wisconsin. He told ESPN he consulted with family members, friends, teammates and concussion researchers before reaching his decision and notifying the 49ers late last week.
Borland said he has had just two diagnosed concussions: one while playing soccer in the eighth grade, and the other playing football as a sophomore in high school. He said his decision had nothing to do with last week's surprise retirement announcement by 49ers teammate and fellow inside linebacker Patrick Willis; it was about his long-term health.
"I've thought about what I could accomplish in football," Borland said. "But for me personally, when you read about Mike Webster and Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, you read all these stories and to be the type of player I want to be in football, I think I'd have to take on some risks that as a person I don't want to take on."
Webster, Duerson and Easterling were all found to have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, after their deaths.
Borland had a four-year contract with the 49ers worth just under $3 million; his signing bonus last summer was $617,436. Borland was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month last November; he had one sack and two interceptions last season.
Borland was a two-way star on Kettering Alter's 2008 Ohio state championship team. He was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2009 and redshirted in 2010 before suffering the first of two shoulder injuries that slowed him during his college career.
"While unexpected, we certainly respect Chris' decision,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "From speaking with Chris, it was evident that he had put a great deal of thought into this decision. He was a consummate professional from day one and a very well respected member of our team and community. Chris is a determined young man that overcame long odds in his journey to the NFL and we are confident he will use the same approach to become very successful in his future endeavors. We will always consider him a 49er and wish him all the best."
