After the Baltimore Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley in the first round of the NFL Draft, they felt Eugene Monroe became expendable. Instead of trying to find a new home, Monroe has decided to call it quits.
Monroe announced his retirement via the Players Tribune:
“The last 18 years have been full of traumatic injuries to both my head and my body,” he wrote. “I’m not complaining, just stating a fact. Has the damage to my brain already been done? Do I have CTE? I hope I don’t, but over 90% of the brains of former NFL players that have been examined showed signs of the disease. I am terrified.”
“That’s why one of the first things I’m planning to do is to go to the doctor,” he added. “I need to take stock of my current health, and I don’t want to miss a thing. I’m going to get brain and body imaging scans, mental health assessments – anything that might help me get a handle on the state of my body and my mind. My health is critical to the future of my family.”
Part of the reason the Ravens probably cut Monroe was because of his avocation to medical marijuana even though the team denied that claim. This retirement now leaves Derrick Morgan as the only active player who publicly advocates for medical marijuana.
Monroe has only played a total of 17 games the past two seasons due to injury. Monroe was in the midst of a five-year, $37.5 million deal he signed with the Ravens in 2014. Baltimore will now be very thankful for that retirement saving a lot of cash in the process.
