Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward suffered a concussion this summer which sidelined him for a significant portion of training camp. After suffering five concussions during his NFL career alone, many questions were raised about potential retirement.
In an era when the NFL is placing a bigger emphasis on the health and safety of its players, concussions and their long-term effects remain the biggest concern. Retirement for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa seemed to be on the table after he suffered multiple head injuries during the 2022 season, but he decided to keep playing football.
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- Denzel Ward contract ( Spotrac ): $12.128 million cap hit in 2024, $24.595 million cap hit in 2025
Burke, who has played six NFL seasons, has already suffered five concussions during his professional career. It doesn’t even account for potential head injuries in college or blows to the head that might not have registered as concussions early in his playing career. Following his latest head injury, Ward was asked about possibly retiring.
Ward told Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN that while he and his family met with a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh while he was sidelined, he didn’t give any consideration to retirement following his latest head injury.
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However, Ward will wear one of the position-specific helmets designed by the NFL to reduce head injuries. He will not be even considering using the guardian cap, the padded hat that goes over a helmet to further reduce the risk of suffering a concussion.
- Denzel Ward stats ( ESPN ): 76 pass deflections, 15 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, 1 defensive touchdown in 79 career games
Ward, age 27, has missed plenty of time during his NFL due to a variety of medical issues. He’s never played all 16 games in his career and he’s missed at least two games in all six seasons, though, Cleveland gave him veteran rest in the final week of the 2021 season.
At the very least, the Browns know they can’t bet on Ward to be on the field for all 17 games this year but he should be a very effective starter when he’s out there. If he were to suffer a sixth concussion, then it’s possible his long-term future in the NFL could come into question.
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