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EDITORIAL: Jahleel Addae Should Not Play Football Anymore

Cecil Shorts looks to be out for the season after a vicious hit by Jahleel Addae

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

If you need more evidence to back up my claim that Jahleel Addae should not be allowed to play football anymore, I can provide it.

Early in yesterday’s game, Cecil Shorts caught a pass from Jameis Winston, turned upfield and was immediately smashed by Jahleel Addae below the knees. While it was a perfectly legal hit by NFL standards, Jahleel Addae needs to be taught that hits like that are unacceptable, regardless of what the rules say. Jahleel Addae is the best safety on the Chargers roster, but he plays with reckless abandonment of his own health, his teammates’ health, and the other team’s health.

Here’s the hit in question.

Jahleel Addae hit on Cecil Shorts

It’s easy to see that the hit was unnecessary. If the Chargers weren’t so enamored with this destructive player named Jahleel Addae, maybe they’d pick up someone who actually knows how to wrap up instead of just hitting as hard as he can. If you don’t know the scope of the injury, here’s what it is.

That makes me sick. While players have come back from all of those injuries, I can’t think of a guy who’s had 4 of them in one hit. If that doesn’t tell you that this hit was incredibly brutal, I don’t know what will. I’ve been a longtime supporter of Jahleel Addae, and his play style is exciting, but players who hurt themselves and other players without changing their style of play should be reassessed to see if they belong in the NFL. Rodger Goodell, you have been a huge supporter of making the NFL a safer place for quite some time. Why is this okay for hits like this then?

Is it because Jahleel Addae sent out this tweet later?

Because that’s bull.

Please, Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco, and John Pagano... quit endangering your investments on the football field, and don’t allow members of your team to lay hits on people like that. If you make the argument that injuries like this are a part of football, you’re wrong. Injuries like this are a part of football when there are no consequences for stupid actions. The ball is in your court.