Someone finally told Wes Welker not to play. The Broncos will not have him play tonight’s nationally televised game against the Chargers for Thursday Night Football, and this comes after he suffered his second concussion after a hit by Bernard Pollard on Sunday afternoon.
They should take one step further by not having him play the rest of the season. This team is good enough offensively where they can get by without Welker, especially with Knowshon Moreno having a breakout season.
Welker is not in shape to play football whatsoever. He hasn’t been the same since he suffered his first concussion. It was obvious by his poor play against the Patriots, especially with the poor communication he had with Tony Carter on the punt that both fumbled that set the stage for the Patriots to beat the Broncos in overtime.
It’s easy to second-guess the Broncos for even clearing him to play so soon. They do so many concussion tests. How did they fail Welker here? I am no neurologist, but the Broncos hired neurologists to oversee what’s going on with Welker. They are supposed to know about these things.
Clearing players after a concussion is not a laughing matter. We are talking about someone’s life here. Welker wants to play, but the Broncos are supposed to do what’s best for him in a situation like this, not what’s best for them. Even if the doctors cleared him, there was no rush to play him.
Football is a violent sport that requires so much hitting, so teams are going to zero in on Welker even more with him being hurt. There’s no sympathy for anyone in the NFL. The Broncos realized that with Welker being hit around pretty good last couple of weeks. That’s where the Broncos should be accused of negligence in this situation.
Better late than never that the Broncos are finally taking precaution.
Who knows what happens to Welker moving forward? This is not about whether he can be an effective player anymore. This is about whether or not he can function in doing everyday things. If Welker can’t memorize anything or do daily tasks such as errands at home, that’s a concern.
There are too many guys that have suffered brain damages as it is by suffering too many concussions. Some guys can’t even function anymore, and some committed suicide as a result of so many blows in the head. It’s part of football, and that’s why NFL teams have to be sensitive in this matter. This is not about who’s tough. This is about safety.
With too many former players dying because of concussions, teams have to take concussions seriously more than ever.
Welker should be commended for playing through a concussion when he came back after his first concussion. He wouldn’t want it any other way. He knows that’s what football players do. He knows football players are defined by toughness.
Welker wants to play. He’s not quitting. He knows he is in his last years, and he knows this could be the last time he could win the Super Bowl. He wants to earn every penny of that contract that he received from the Broncos this past offseason. It’s noble of him.
This should not be his decision anymore. He gave it a go, and it did not work out well for him and the Broncos. It’s hard to believe he will be effective this year anyway after absorbing so many hits in the head.
As far as next season goes, that’s a good question what Welker does. Hopefully, he will be clear and ready to go by then. No one would blame him if he took Jeff Pearlman’s advice about retiring now while his health is intact in a column this writer pleaded for the Broncos receiver told him to do.
That’s not the way Welker wants to go out, though. He is playing next season. He does not want to start his post-NFL life that quickly. That’s not how football players are wired.
If Welker had his way, he would play tonight. He would rather have his brain damaged and go through it. He is about winning and being there for his teammates. There is no question this is killing him.
What he has to understand is football is a game. He should have the opportunity to see his kids grow up, and he should enjoy life after his football career. It can’t be all football all the time. That does not stay forever, and if he wants to be around the game after playing, he should take his health seriously.
This is why this past Sunday should be his last game of the season.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter.
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Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
