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Tyler Varga: People shouldn’t be surprised when players retire early

Former Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Varga said that fans should not be surprised when players retire at a young age due to the risks of concussions. 
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Former Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Varga said that fans should not be surprised when players retire at a young age. 

“You're seeing it more and more often these days,” Varga told Bob Kravitz of WTHR.

Varga is now a retired player at the age of 22 after he sustained a serious concussion during his first year in the league. He opted against taking medication offered by the Colts due to concern over potential side effects.

“Players are far more educated now about the risks involved in playing football,” Varga said. 

“In the end, you just have to weigh the risk versus reward, do a cost/benefit analysis, and I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk,” Varga continued. “I didn’t want to risk another big one [concussion] and having it impact my quality of life down the road. It was a difficult decision; it always is when you work so hard toward a goal and finally reach that goal, but after a long period of reflection, I felt like this was the best decision for my future.”

Varga was signed as an undrafted free agent last year. He played just three games with the Colts.