Amid rising questions about the safety of playing football, Anthony Davis, a 25-year-old offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, announced Friday that he plans to step away the game to allow his “brain and body a chance to heal,” the Huffington Post reports.
Davis on Friday released a statement, saying, “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.
“I hope you too have the courage to live your life how you planned it when day dreaming to yourself growing up,” Davis continued. “Your Life is Your dream and you have the power to control that dream. Im [sic] simply doing what's best for my body as well as my mental health at this time in my life.”
Last season Davis admitted that he found the lingering effects of a concussion “scary,” writes the news outlet. Davis has spent his entire career with the 49ers since he was taken 11th in the 2010 draft.
The Huffington Post notes that while many media outlets are reporting the move as a career-ending retirement, Davis posted a tweet saying that he plans to rejoin the NFL when he is 26 or 27 years old.
https://twitter.com/BamDavis_/status/606933460557504512
Davis’ decision follows a number of retirements this year by 49ers, including Chris Borland, who appears to have walked away from the game for good, the report notes.
The retirements come as more questions arise about the safety of playing through pain and injuries, according to a piece by Deron Snyder at The Root.
“From the men who recently decided that early retirement beats a pro career, to the former players suffering from head trauma and suing the NFL in a class action concussion lawsuit, to the prep and youth organizations facing litigation of their own, football has become a tackling dummy,” Snyder wrote.
He says that the serious questioning of the NFL regarding player safety began about six years ago when members of Congress grilled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the league’s concussion policies.
Read more at the Huffington Post.