Jets S Jamal Adams, sitting with Roger Goodell, has mortifying answer to CTE question

Part of the NFL’s issue with concussions and player safety is that players often fight it. They hide concussions or other injuries because they want to play, fear losing their jobs or any other reason you can imagine.

It’s a macho league, and that’s probably not going away. Still, New York Jets safety Jamal Adams’ answer to a question about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at a fan fest was cringe-worthy.

And it came with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sitting next to him. From Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com:

Yikes. In a league that has tried through the last few years to improve safety (after years of denying the possible effects of concussions), Goodell couldn’t have enjoyed that answer from Adams, the sixth overall pick of the draft this past spring.

Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne doubled down on Adams’ thoughts.

A lot of people don’t believe me when I say this,” Claiborne told the New York Daily News. “But I would die out there on that football field. This is my life. This is what I do. I give it all. I would die out there.”

It will be hard to change that culture. For some players, football has been the biggest part of their lives since they were young. It’s part of the reason why many players struggle to find a new identity when they are forced to retire.

Still, Adams’ comment is extreme (as is applauding for it, but that’s another story). And after all the talk about making the game safer, it had to be quite the awkward moment for Goodell.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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