The New York Giants will have to continue their search for a right tackle, as free agent target Eugene Monroe has elected to retire.
It seemed unlikely from the start that the New York Giants would land Eugene Monroe due to his apparent unwillingness to play right tackle for them.
But now it’s official. No team will acquire the free agent right tackle’s services in 2016.
Despite the reported interest from the Giants, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, the seven-year NFL veteran choose instead to retire from the league.
Monroe announced his retirement in a beautifully penned letter on the Player’s Tribune, where he explained his fear of incurring CTE as one of the reasons he has chosen to hang up the cleats.
“I’m only 29 and I still have the physical ability to play at a very high level, so I know that my decision to retire may be puzzling to some. But I am thinking of my family first right now — and my health and my future…The last 18 years have been full of traumatic injuries to both my head and my body. I’m not complaining, just stating a fact”
Monroe has some valid, and even disturbing concerns.
“Has the damage to my brain already been done? Do I have CTE? I hope I don’t, but over 90% of the brains of former NFL players that have been examined showed signs of the disease. I am terrified.”
Monroe has always been an activist for player’s health, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t the last the sports world has heard from Monroe.
He is currently attempting to spearhead a campaign for the NFL to remove marijuana from its banned substances list so that players can utilize its affects for pain management.
At just 29-years-old, Monroe’s early retirement marks yet another young athlete walking away from the game of football due to the ever growing fear of head trauma.
For the New York Giants, his retirement marks another disappointing swing and miss in their off season search for offensive line depth.
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