NFL free agent wide receiver Wes Welker signed with the St. Louis Rams this past Monday, according to NFL reporter Marc Sessler. Welker has had as many as 10 concussions during his football career, and one NFL executive is reportedly "really scared for Wes," according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
Multiple players and team executives reportedly have stated that they wished St. Louis never signed the veteran wide receiver. A former teammate of Welker said, "I hope he just gets through this OK," via Bleacher Report. A source close to Welker has said that the veteran receiver is not returning to football for money, but is returning because he loves the game and is having trouble parting with the sport, according to Freeman.
Welker's contract includes incentives for playing time and catches, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport. The NFL has spent the past couple years trying to fix head trauma issues in the NFL by changing the rules and enforcing fines on players for unnecessary helmet-to-helmet hits. But that hasn't stopped concussions from occurring, as two major players in Vikings' Teddy Bridgewater and Raiders' Latavius Murray both suffered concussions this past weekend.
The problem the NFL faces is when a player with a history of head trauma wishes to play, and a team wants to sign him, as there is nothing the league can do right now to stop it. People around the league, and football fans across the country, are worried about Welker suiting up again, but the veteran receiver isn't at all. "Not at all," said Welker when asked if worried about returning to the field, via NFL. "I've been cleared by the doctors and everything else. Obviously I'm not going to try and look for contact and everything like that, but I'm not thinking about it either."
Welker has been a top slot receiver in the league for the past decade, and the Rams know that he is great at finding the first down marker on third downs. "We all know if (Tavon Austin) gets the ball in his hands, he can go the distance," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, via NFL. "Now, you have another guy that you've got to contend with that's going to get you the first down."
A study was released at the beginning of the football season, which found 87 out of 91 former NFL football players testing positive for brain disease. With concussions being a forefront concern for the league, expect many NFL executives to keep a close eye on Welker this weekend. The Rams play the Chicago Bears this weekend, and it's unknown how many snaps Welker will see in his first game in St. Louis.
