Players calling it quits in prime
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Patrick Willis walked away first with a nagging toe injury that kept him from being the dominant All-Pro linebacker of his prime.
Then his heir apparent and San Francisco teammate Chris Borland followed with his own stunning retirement on the heels of his spectacular rookie season, citing concern about head trauma over a hard-hitting career.
Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker called it quits after four seasons. Next, ex-Pittsburgh pass-rushing specialist Jason Worilds bid farewell to football. And then yet another 49er joined the list of departures from the NFL while still young: Offensive lineman and 2010 first-round pick Anthony Davis also chose his health and future over more punishing knocks in the head after a concussion left him dazed for weeks late last year.
“You don’t want to see guys walk away, but at the end of the day everyone has their own problems and things they need to deal with, their own reasons,” San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis said. “We didn’t expect Patrick to retire.”
Around the league, players began taking the leap to that unknown life after football — at 30 or younger, no less.
“As many players that do consider perhaps the long-term risks and the cost benefits of a longterm career in a contact sport, you’re going to get that,” said sports psychologist Dr. John F. Murray, based in Palm Beach, Fla. “We’ve had more education and increased awareness from many avenues about the risks of concussions long-term, the risks of the effects of that.”
Brady case moved to New York court
NEW YORK — Tom Brady’s lawsuit against the NFL in which he wants his four-game suspension overturned will be heard in New York instead of Minnesota.
Brady and the players’ union filed their suit Wednesday in Minnesota. But the NFL already had filed papers Tuesday in New York, moments after announcing that commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspension for Brady’s involvement in the use of underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game.
U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle, based in Minnesota, ordered the transfer. The judge wrote that he “sees little reason for this action to have been commenced in Minnesota at all.”
He noted that Brady plays in Massachusetts, the union is based in Washington and the NFL in New York, Kyle added that “the arbitration proceedings took place in New York and the award was issued in New York.”
Jeffrey Kessler, the lead attorney for Brady and the union, wasn’t concerned about this game of musical witness chairs.
In a footnote, Kyle said the court “strongly suspects the union filed in Minnesota because it has obtained favorable rulings from this court in the past on behalf of its members.”
Brady cheered
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady received a big cheer from Patriots fans when he came out on the practice field Thursday for New England’s first practice of training camp.
The quarterback and team owner Robert Kraft both got a warm reception from the crowded bleachers full of fans — many wearing jerseys with Brady’s No. 12.
Less supportive was the website that paid for a plane to buzz the field towing a banner that said, “Cheaters Look Up.”
Earlier, coach Bill Belichick stonewalled questions about deflated footballs for the second straight day.
Belichick said he’s only worried about the day’s practice. He responded the same way when asked about trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions. He responded the same way when asked about the weather.
Broncos want less work from Manning
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Gary Kubiak sure has the blueprints.
He helped guide the Denver Broncos to backto-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s as John Elway’s backup-turned tutor and now he’s trying to steer them back to the top of the NFL behind 39-year-old Peyton Manning.
On the eve of his first training camp as Denver’s head coach, Kubiak said: “I can remember some of the conversations we’re having now are some of the same conversations we had as coaches going into John’s last year or two, how we were going to approach his work, how we were going to go about things.”
Bottom line: plenty of rest for Manning, a notorious workhorse who’s long been loath to give away any snaps.
With Manning coming off a thigh injury that hampered him down the stretch last season, Kubiak gave backup Brock Osweiler lots of work this offseason and he plans to do that again through camp and into the season.
“I think (Manning) responded really well in the offseason program to not working every day. I thought his arm looked really good. I thought physically he looked really good. And I want to stay that course,” Kubiak said.
“I know he’s going to be beating my door down to be out there every day. But I think it’ll be good for him. It’ll be good for the team and for Brock to be able to go out there every third or fourth day and prove to the guys he can run the football team also.”