I think Brian should retire.

that i agree w/ u

Rec’d

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all

this is from the front page links, but it really is a good read…and it’s related to Brian’s current situation. Here is one part I found incredibly interesting

"The first concussion was during preseason. The team was doing two-a-days," he said, referring to the habit of practicing in both the morning and the evening in the preseason. "It was August 9th, 9:55 A.M. He has an 80-g hit to the front of his head. About ten minutes later, he has a 98-g acceleration to the front of his head." To put those numbers in perspective, Guskiewicz explained, if you drove your car into a wall at twenty-five miles per hour and you weren’t wearing your seat belt, the force of your head hitting the windshield would be around 100 gs: in effect, the player had two car accidents that morning.

but we’re no longer talking about football here anymore. westbrook has always been prone to injury and he’s just one shot to the head away from landing himself in a wheelchair later on in life (if not sooner). if he calls it a career right now, he will go down as one of the best running backs in eagles history. much respect.

i agree, as much as it pains me to say this, westbrook should call it a career

Westbrook has left us all with so many amazing memories that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to him when he retires. But Brian needs to look at this very seriously. Playing 1-2 more seasons is not worth the trouble it will cause him later down the road. And he will be much more susceptible and vulnerable to severe concussions. Two concussions in three weeks is VERY scary. Life is much more important than a game of football.

100% regrettably agreeing

i would have liked to groom mccoy for another season but this is about westbrook as a human being, not a football player.

maybe it would be better for him health wise to retire , if he doesnt play for the eagles anymore i am still wearing my # 36 jersey period. this is going to suck if this happens westy is one of my favorites ….b dawk , J.J.. now maybe westbrook gone ..depressing flatout depressing

But not to play. The moment I heard he went out with another concussion I thought it was the end of his storied career.

If he does come back, we will love him as we always have, and as we always will. But do what’s best for yourself, Brian. Hang ’em up.

The head injuries give Brian an opportunity to walk away gracefully. While I believe he still has the skills to play, he is not the player he was 5 years ago. It is a pretty safe bet that had he not sustained the head injuries, he would have missed time due to another injury. While obviously the long term effects of the concussions cause the most concern, a few more knee and ankle scopes certainly have their own long term issues.

I remember watching Brian at Villanova and believing he would be a good pro player, someone in the mold of a Dave Meggett or Eric Metcalf. I was very excited when the Eagles picked him, and he certainly exceeded my expectations of what he could do in this league. He will go down as one of the franchises best players ever, and one of the better dual threat RB’s in NFL history. I am sure that when we go to the Linc in 20 years, we won’t have to look hard to spot someone wearing a 36 jersey.

It is always hard for great athletes to walk away from their game, but I imagine it is even harder as an NFL RB, as RB’s tend not to decline slowly, but fall off a cliff. While Westbrook is not there yet, perhaps sparing himself that stage of inevitable denial and retiring now is the best option for everyone, including the Eagles fans.

 Regardless if you ever play again, thanks for all the great memories. Godspeed Brian Westbrook.

this is bigger than football! Any fan of the sport would hate to see him come back, only to get another one that he can’t recover fully from. Sad day, but he has a long future to think of and our thoughts and prayers are with him!

I agree, Andre Waters is exactly what came to mind when Westbrook received his last concussion. Today happens to be the 3 year anniversary of his death.

Head injuries are serious … Cadillac Williams has had his past 2 seasons end in a torn petellar ligament in his left knee, he can keep coming back. What’s he going to have to deal with later arthritis, some pain, maybe a replacement. Head injuries are another story hands down.