I think this story may be one of the tipping points that will result in the NFL rapidly declining in popularity. With youth football participation rapidly falling due to mothers concerned about serious injuries from playing tackle football, the prospect of American football being replaced by a combination of baseball, basketball and soccer as the major American professional sports within 20-25 years is no longer a far-fetched idea.
Jim Brown made a very smart decision when he retired I think at 30. I remember Robert Smith a stud RB for the Vikings retired at age 28 at the top of his game. He talked about he wanted to be healthy for the rest of his life after football.