Concussions in the NFL has been an issue in recent history but things have really hit a fever pitch this NFL offseason. Gisele Bundchen casually revealed about her husband Tom Brady suffering multiple concussions, even though he hasn’t been officially been diagnosed with one. That, along with a study printed by New York Times that said 110 of 111 brains of former NFL players tested had CTE, and it’s caused many to take an even deeper look into how concussions affect football.
One such person who spoke up about his CTE fears is Boomer Esiason. The former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and current analyst for The NFL Today and Inside the NFL as well as co-host for Boomer and Carton revealed that the chances he has CTE are probably pretty good.
“If I died tomorrow and my brain basically was taken and researched and I was found to have CTE, which most likely I have, because I think all football players probably have it,” Boomer said.
As sad as this sounds, this isn’t necessarily surprising to hear. We’re getting to the point where it’ll be news if we find out a former NFL player doesn’t have CTE after they die and get their brain tested. When 99.1% of brains tested in that study had CTE, including a punter and kicker who aren’t supposed to get physical on the football field, you’re pretty much accepting that you’re getting CTE if you play football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLcJ8mMDzwU
This isn’t to say that this isn’t a problem in other sports, nor that this will necessarily cause the NFL to lose its popularity. Esiason says, and has a point, that CTE isn’t exclusive to the NFL. I have suffered two concussions in my life and I got them playing soccer. And it’s so serious that NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and U.S. Soccer stars Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe are donating their brains to be tested so yes, this can happen in other sports. This is definitely going to be something that most contact sports, including the NFL, will need to seriously consider and prepare for sooner rather than later. Because Boomer Esiason is definitely not going to be the last retired NFL player to believe he has CTE.
[CBS Sports/Photo: Andy Kropa/AP]
