Chris Borland Retires: Players React After 49er Quits, Citing Head-Injury WorriesNBC News LogoSearchSearchLiveNBC News LogoToday Logo - Analysis & Updates [2026-10-01] | Latest News Today

March 17, 2015, 7:27 AM EDT / Updated March 17, 2015, 7:57 AM EDT

Chris Borland, a 24-year-old linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and one of the most promising rookies in the NFL last year, says he’s quitting the game because he doesn’t want to risk long-term brain injury.

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“I just honestly want to do what's best for my health,” he told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” on Monday. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don't think it’s worth the risk.”

Reaction on Twitter was quick. The 49ers front office expressed surprise and wished him the best:

Some players, meanwhile, spoke of it as an eye-opener:

Brandon Marshall, just traded to the New York Jets, made mention of Borland’s teammate Patrick Willis, who last week announced that he would walk away from the game at age 30 because of pain in his feet.

Others simply expressed shock:

Donté Stallworth, who left the game in 2012, said that players are more worried now than ever about brain trauma:

Russell Wilson, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, who played with Borland at Wisconsin, offered his prayers:

Bobby Wagner, a Seahawks linebacker, suggested he couldn’t imagine making a similar choice:

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN’s top college football analyst, suggested the decision could reverberate. Some prominent NFL writers were quick to weigh in, too.

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Chris Borland Retires After One Season

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Chris Borland Retires: Players React After 49er Quits, Citing Head-Injury Worries

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

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For Subscribers

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

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