The Green Bay Packers rookie LB Ralen Goforth took a blow in the preseason game against the Denver Broncos. This happened when the Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham clashed with the rookie near the goal line. After a few moments, he was beaten to a touchdown run by Stidham, prompting him to leave the field eventually. Later on, Goforth was spotted with a towel over his head while going back to his locker room, as reported by Matt Schneidman. After close evaluation from the team doctors, it was revealed he suffered a concussion. But it wasn’t the end of it as Schneidman further revealed he faced an ankle injury with the extent of recovery yet to be known.

Joining from USC, Goforth played 15 games last season for the University of Washington, thereby leading them to their CFP championship game. Goforth himself racked up 37 tackles, of which 20 were solo, while adding a fumble recovery in his 2o23 campaign. But the rookie LB tackling a concussion and ankle injury before the start of the regular season doesn’t bode good news for the Packers’s ambition.

They would be hoping Goforth can come back sooner and help the Packers with his speed and agility. However, the concussion he suffered during the game against the Broncos could have heavier repercussions if not given the right time to heal. Looking back at the history of concussions in the NFL, it could be a bigger concern than it seems.

Ralen Goforth adds to the list of concussions suffered by players in the NFL

Over the last few years, multiple NFL players have suffered concussions that left a lasting impact. One of the recent examples is former Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook, who confessed to suffering from memory loss due to concussions suffered on the gridiron. Opening up on his thoughts with the Associated Press, Westbrook stated, “I thought I took enough time off to rest and recuperate. I thought I was healed completely. But I got hit, I got my bell rung. I was out for another few weeks with another concussion.”

After suffering a major concussion in a match against the Redskins back in 2009, Westbrook came back within a gap of two games. However, he went on to suffer yet another concussion on his first game back that might have resulted in him not remembering names and recalling facts. Well, the legendary Patriots coach Bill Belichick also made a mistake when he rushed LB Ted Johnson to return to action, after which he suffered a severe injury.

As players continue to take concussions lightly while rushing themselves back to the field, one player opened up on those common occurrences. Atlanta Falcons center Todd McClure expressed, “If you come out, you are seen as soft. That’s the way it is.” But multiple surveys over the past have revealed that a concussed athlete who jumps back into action has a greater chance of suffering an even worse injury than his previous one.

Even in the case of Goforth, he too suffered a concussion, after which an ankle injury was added to his list. As fans, we can only hope that the NFL players take the issue of concussion seriously. Otherwise, it could turn into something more serious, with heavier repercussions.

Moving away from injuries, if you are interested in learning about Chris Gronkowski’s NFL journey, do check out our recent interview with him on the Dual Threat Podcast with BG12.