Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman espoused playing through concussions in a column written on Wednesday for MMQB. Sherman, always vocal, said players understand the risks from head injuries and should decide for themselves whether to play; if fans don't like it, "stop watching."
Sherman contends NFL players know the risks associated with playing the game, which is why players are "frustrated with these fines and penalties."
"A NASCAR driver understands that anything can happen during a race; his car could flip at 200 miles per hour," Sherman wrote. "A boxer knows when he goes in the ring what's happening to his body. Just like them, we understand this is a dangerous game with consequences not just in the short term, but for the rest of our lives.
"All of us NFL players, from wide receivers to defensive backs, chose this profession. Concussions are going to happen to cornerbacks who go low and lead with their shoulders, wide receivers who duck into contact, safeties who tackle high and linemen who run into somebody on every single play."
The "public ire" is to blame for the NFL's attempt to make the game safer, according to Sherman, and it's putting players at a greater risk for injury.
"Defensive players are used to playing fast," wrote Sherman, "but now they're being forced to play with indecision, and indecision gets you hurt in this game."
Sherman described playing through a concussion after tackling Cincinnati Bengals fullback Chris Pressley during the corner's first NFL start in 2011:
"The problem was that I couldn't see. The concussion blurred my vision and I played the next two quarters half-blind, but there was no way I was coming off the field with so much at stake.
"It paid off: Just as my head was clearing, (quarterback) Andy Dalton lobbed one up to rookie A.J. Green and I came down with my first career interception. The Legion of Boom was born."
Concussions often go unnoticed, and the 25-year-old believes it isn't his - or anybody else's - job to decide whether a player remains on the field.
"...I'm not going to take his health into my hands and tell anybody, because playing with injuries is a risk that guys are willing to take," Sherman said.
He added: "If you don't like it, stop watching."
