This week, in the kind of NFL transaction that no longer raises an eyebrow or turns a head, the Packers placed a rookie on the reserve/retired list before the start of his first training camp.
Parris Bennett went undrafted out of Syracuse. He was an undersized linebacker and a long shot to make the final 53. But he also was 22 years old with 15 years' worth of scrapping and clawing his way past every hurdle and challenge the game threw before him.
But this week, Bennett took to Instagram to announce that he no longer would risk long-term health for football's reward.
"Today I made the hardest decision of my life, to walk away from the game I love," Bennett said. "I've given everything to this sport but I know my health is ultimately the most important thing."
Meanwhile, another undrafted long shot, Vikings linebacker Brett Taylor, saw the news and wasn't surprised. But the 23-year-old also can't fathom making that same choice.
"Football is a rough, rough game," Taylor said. "It wants to retire you when it wants to retire you. But if the decision is left up to me, I'm not retiring myself just for precautionary reasons. I love the game, and I'll do whatever I can to play."
Neither player should be judged right or wrong. It's a personal decision that more modern players wrestle with because of the well-documented long-term cognitive risks that have been scientifically linked to playing the game.
"The science is scary, obviously," Taylor said. "And it is sad that [Bennett] is retiring. But if you use the proper techniques and everything, I've been fortunate enough not to have injuries.
"I know football takes a toll on the body, and I know several guys in high school and college who had to give it up. I've never had a concussion, so I'm thankful that God has blessed me with a nice body so far."
