{"id":1946,"date":"2016-09-18T17:12:11","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T21:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=1946"},"modified":"2021-05-30T14:24:31","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T18:24:31","slug":"sam-shields-last-big-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/09\/18\/sam-shields-last-big-hit\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Shields’ Last Big Hit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Green Bay Packers<\/strong>\u00a0cornerback Sam Shields<\/strong> has never been known as the \u201cbig-hit\u201d guy. He has never been confused for Chuck Cecil<\/a><\/strong> or Ronnie Lott<\/a><\/strong>. However, he may have just tallied up the same amount of concussions as the both of them. Shields entered the NFL’s <\/strong>concussion protocol\u00a0after a week 1 tackle of\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars<\/strong>\u00a0running back T.J. Yeldon<\/a><\/strong>. This will be Shields’ fifth documented concussion in his football career dating back to his days at the University of Miami<\/strong>. Was this Sam Shield’s last big hit? The concussion concerns of Sam Shields continue to rise.<\/p>\n

Sam Shields<\/a> Last Big Hit<\/h1>\n

Early Retirement<\/h3>\n

As most Packer fans waited throughout the week in anticipation of whether or not Shields would get to play against the Minnesota Vikings<\/strong>, others began to be concerned if he will ever suit up again. Five concussions in a career can be detrimental to one\u2019s health going forward. And in today\u2019s game, you are seeing the effects publicized much more and players taking actions much quicker. He certainly wouldn\u2019t be the first guy to retire because of concerns about head injuries. Just last year, former Wisconsin Badger Chris Borland<\/a><\/strong> retired at age 24 because of concussions. Buffalo Bills<\/strong> linebacker A.J. Tarpley<\/a><\/strong> did the same this past off-season at age 23.<\/p>\n

Sam Shields is entering his seventh\u00a0season with the Packers and is considered to be their best corner. At age 28, he is in the third season of a four-year, $39 million contract. He would keep his salary this season if he retired because of injury, but pass on $9 million owed next fall. Which raises the question: When do you put your health ahead of your bank account? Shields has won a Super Bowl<\/strong>. He has made a little over $33 million. No one would fault him for walking away. Can he though? We will find out.<\/p>\n

What the Doctor Says<\/h3>\n

Because Shields\u2019 most recent concussion came within a year of the one before, his symptoms could be worse. Dr. Andrew Russman<\/strong>, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic\u2019s Cerebrovascular Center<\/strong>, said he\u2019s willing to weigh those questions with any athlete who experienced multiple concussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving more concussions is associated with having a risk of future concussions,\u201d Russman said. \u201cIt\u2019s associated with having more symptoms if you have a future concussion. So in that way, you can think of it like prior concussion synthesizes us to (a) future\u00a0concussion, and it makes it more likely to happen again, and it makes it more likely for the symptoms to be more bothersome.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is no \u201cmagic number\u201d for football players to know when it\u2019s time to walk away, Dr. Vernon Williams<\/strong> of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology<\/strong> told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin<\/strong>. More troubling, Williams said, is a pattern that develops with each subsequent brain injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how tough you are,\u201d Williams said, \u201cif you\u2019re the starter or second- or third-stringer, or if this is the first quarter or fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, or a preseason practice. Your brain doesn\u2019t know. So when those injuries occur, we have to respect all of them. Every single one of them is important and serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Packers Next Move<\/h3>\n

This is absolutely alarming. The Green Bay Packers ruled Shields out of Sunday night\u2019s game against the Minnesota Vikings and will keep a close eye on him during the week.
\n\u201cAny time any of our players are in the protocol and dealing with a concussion, it\u2019s a concern,\u201d coach Mike McCarthy<\/strong> said this week. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ll evaluate Sam each and every day, and most importantly to make sure he\u2019s healthy and goes through the challenges of what he\u2019s dealing with.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely are aware of his history, and that will factor in on how we move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

You have to wonder if Ted Thompson<\/a><\/strong> made the moves he did in the 2014 NFL Draft<\/strong> with the knowledge of this. There was an obvious need for corner on the roster, but with four concussions already, Thompson must have thought a fifth was around the corner.<\/p>\n

There is no hurry, but the threat to Shields\u2019 career becomes more ominous as time passes. If not this concussion, Shields is statistically at greater risk of suffering another, more severe injury to his brain. At some point, he might have to decide whether it\u2019s time to walk away.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n