According to multiple league sources, Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Varga is indeed seriously contemplating retirement after not reporting for the start of the team’s training camp and subsequently being placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list Tuesday:
#Colts RB Tyler Varga is contemplating retirement, source said. He dealt with significant concussion issues last season.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) July 26, 2016
It's more or less a paperwork issue at this point on Varga, per source. I presume he will be moved to the retired list at some point.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) July 26, 2016
It’s could be a saddening end for what was once such a promising start to Varga’s professional football career with the Colts, having made the team as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Yale last season.
The 5’10”, 225 running back shined in preseason, as well as in limited action during the regular season as a 3rd down running back and on special teams.
Simply put, he gave the Colts no choice, as he played his way onto the Colts 53-man roster and parlayed that into meaningful regular season snaps.
In a must-read for any Colts fan by the Indy Star’s Zak Keefer; however, Varga suffered a violent concussion injury in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans on special teams and was placed on season-ending injured reserve shortly thereafter.
However, it was the terrifying details of Varga’s lingering concussion side-effects which occurred up until 4 months after the initial injury that really show how serious these head injuries can truly become.
Even after it all, the young running back reportedly wanted to continue his professional playing career as recently as this past June and was even cleared by doctors. However, he may suddenly have had a change of heart after considering the long-term consequences.
Concussions are no laughing matter, and we’re only now learning more about their negative long-term complications like the tip of an iceberg.
If this is indeed the end for Varga’s professional career, while it’s clearly unfortunate and saddening, he should assuredly land on his feet.
Having nearly had one of his legs amputated in high school, he’s been through adversity before.
Not to mention, he overcame the odds already by being an Ivy League running back, who successfully made an NFL roster and fulfilled a lifelong dream by appearing in 3 NFL games.
Besides, as Keefer astutely points out, he’s a Yale graduate and a pretty intelligent individual in addition to being a highly skilled running back:
If he is indeed done with football, Varga will be fine: He owns an evolutionary degree from Yale + hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) July 26, 2016
As such, we wish the best for Varga in his future endeavors–football related or not, and most importantly, his long-term health.
While it was great watching him play and even make the Colts roster as a considerable underdog, the former Yale Bulldogs standout turned Colts fan favorite can safely hold his head up high by doing what’s best for his health–as football is purely secondary right now.
Update (7:21 EST): Varga has indeed been moved to the Reserve/Retired list by the Colts:
ROSTER UPDATE: We have signed free agent running back Abou Toure. We also placed running back Tyler Varga on the Reserve/Retired list.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 26, 2016