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49'ers LB Chris Borland Retires

It's his personal decision. None of our opinions matter.

I wish him the best with the rest of his life - it takes a brave man to walk away from the money, glory and fame. He should be a hero for his decision - Worilds too.

None of our opinions matter?? Thanks for the heads-up on that, Berm, here I was, thinking that the NFL and its players cared deeply about the thoughts of the Steelernation forum.

Yes, its a forum, there will be opinions here, opinions tend to be brought up in the course of discussion...on message boards and/or forums
 
It's interesting to me that so far I haven't heard of one NFL player who has spoken badly about his decision or about Borland for making it. Not one. If there has been and I didn't see it, it hasn't made it to a media outlet that I could see.
 
Call me a cynic but this is what I think and maybe he will prove me wrong. Boreland played WELL above his physical abilities last year and he knows it. Losing a lot of talent around him he and maybe under the advice of some people decide if he retires and makes it about head trauma and concussions he can write a book and make MORE money off of his book than he would if he played a 10 year career. Maybe I am wrong but if there's a book on the shelf this time next year I will say I called it first.
 
How do some of you cone up with this stuff. Lol. Wow.
 
How do some of you cone up with this stuff. Lol. Wow.

From the Worilds thread, we can dismiss anything the player said with regards to reasons and speculate, wildly, that the players ego was smashed in the face by the realization that he was just not that good.....
 
I hope they do go after that signing bonus, theyre well within their rights to do so. See ya Borland, hope you dont regret your mistake a decade from now!

Why would they have a claim on the signing bonus. He signed. Had he been hurt and retired the amount would be the same. I think this is interesting because another tool that has been used to circumvent the cap has bit someone in the ***. If he was cut he would get to keep it.
 
Why would they have a claim on the signing bonus. He signed. Had he been hurt and retired the amount would be the same. I think this is interesting because another tool that has been used to circumvent the cap has bit someone in the ***. If he was cut he would get to keep it.

When a player retires or quits, the team can petition or even sue to get the remaining prorated portion of his signing bonus. I think this came about during Ricky Williams' "retirement" from the Dolphins. The reasoning is that you received the signing bonus as part of a contract to perform for a certain number of years and by retiring early, you have not lived up to the terms of the contract. It's up to the team to determine if that is a route they want to take.
 
When a player retires or quits, the team can petition or even sue to get the remaining prorated portion of his signing bonus. I think this came about during Ricky Williams' "retirement" from the Dolphins. The reasoning is that you received the signing bonus as part of a contract to perform for a certain number of years and by retiring early, you have not lived up to the terms of the contract. It's up to the team to determine if that is a route they want to take.

It's not a really signing bonus. It's called that in proper vernacular but it's treated as an advance on each year's salary for the contract.

Agreed that they have claim. Dead money from his retirement hits their cap and those dollars can't go to someone who is playing.
 
It's not a really signing bonus. It's called that in proper vernacular but it's treated as an advance on each year's salary for the contract.

Agreed that they have claim. Dead money from his retirement hits their cap and those dollars can't go to someone who is playing.

Always good to learn something new. Thank you.
 
Retiring after 1 injury free year is freaking ridiculous. It's an issue with Millenials. They have no will to see things thru.
 
He could probably buy a few apartment buildings with what he's made so far and be set for life, then go and do what he wants to do.

I'm guessing that teams will now make forfeiture of a signing bonus for early retirement part of any new contracts.

League needs to put something in so they can do that and also that it comes off the teams' salary cap numbers. It's bad enough that we got screwed out of a comp pick by Worilds retiring.
 
Some of these guys are looking long term. They know about the McMahons, the Seaus, the Duersons and Andre Waters.....(three of those four killed themselves and the one that hasnt, wishes he could). Theyve probably gotten advice from some of the older players that left the game and these players are tellin em to think about the long term effects and advising them to weigh all the options.

One thing....they defintely arent just in it for the money..
 
i don't know if anyone was....but some people had a problem with his decision to retire.

and so what if people do have a problem with it? is it against the law? For the record, I don't think anyone has a problem with him retiring in and of itself, it's more of a disappointment that such a young, healthy, promising player has decided to walk away from the game, based on a heightened sense of anxiety drummed up by our wonderful media and the political correctness of the league.
 
and so what if people do have a problem with it? is it against the law? For the record, I don't think anyone has a problem with him retiring in and of itself, it's more of a disappointment that such a young, healthy, promising player has decided to walk away from the game, based on a heightened sense of anxiety drummed up by our wonderful media and the political correctness of the league.

Is it against the law for me to write what I wrote? While some think it's a disappointment I applaud him. It could not of been an easy decision. The young man decided instead of abusing his body for money he will earn it with his brain. Hell. Some might even think it was an easy choice.
 
and so what if people do have a problem with it? is it against the law? For the record, I don't think anyone has a problem with him retiring in and of itself, it's more of a disappointment that such a young, healthy, promising player has decided to walk away from the game, based on a heightened sense of anxiety drummed up by our wonderful media and the political correctness of the league.

Or maybe he's seen enough retired players struggling in their later years and decided he doesn't want to risk his possible future health for money for playing a game. Some people want to think it's some kind of myth a lot of retired nfl players struggle later in life because of the impact of the game.
 
There are signing bonuses handed out in other disciplines as well. My son, a CPA has been given them at a couple of his latest jobs. If he left they are not prorated or returned. In Ricky Williams case I suspect drug use may have been an issue with the specifics of getting his money back as he was likely to get a major penalty at his next drug test. The fact that it is called a signing bonus and paid at the time of signing is significant unless there is language to the contrary in the contract. If in fact it is tied to each years performance of the contract then it should be eliminated from use and instead converted to salary.
 
Or maybe he's seen enough retired players struggling in their later years and decided he doesn't want to risk his possible future health for money for playing a game. Some people want to think it's some kind of myth a lot of retired nfl players struggle later in life because of the impact of the game.

We can only hope he balanced out his decision with the consideration that tens of thousands of former NFL players go about their day-to-day lives in retirement from the game, with little, if any, cognitive defects as a result of the game they played. And let's pray he didn't look at that very fact as a "myth"
 
Is it against the law for me to write what I wrote? While some think it's a disappointment I applaud him. It could not of been an easy decision. The young man decided instead of abusing his body for money he will earn it with his brain. Hell. Some might even think it was an easy choice.

abusing his body for money? he was going to be paid millions to play a game. you make it sound as if he walked away from a career of prostitution and hard drug use. let's hope he can put that history degree to good use (rolls eyes)
 
abusing his body for money? he was going to be paid millions to play a game. you make it sound as if he walked away from a career of prostitution and hard drug use. let's hope he can put that history degree to good use (rolls eyes)

No I am not. Read into his decision all you want. He has an education. He weighed his options and chose to walk away from a physical abusive job to one where he will use his brain. Maybe he will teach others with that history degree. Maybe he will get more from life doing that than making the money you seemed shocked that he passed up. Seems to me maybe he has his priorities in line at such a young age is kind of refreshing. It's not always about money in life.
 
Plenty of players give away the game and all the wealth it brings for something different in their lives. Some will probably live to regret it others not at all. No matter how you look at it an NFL playing career is short term. The fact some people chose to leave it sooner rather than later shouldn't really come as that much of a shock. I think some people get caught up in the money factor, believe it or not money isn't as important to some as others.
 
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