Bills linebacker retires at 23 after suffering multiple concussions

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Buffalo Bills linebacker A.J. Tarpley, a 23-year-old undrafted rookie in 2015, is retiring from football, citing long-term health concerns after suffering multiple concussions.

"I suffered the 3rd and 4th concussions of my career this past season and I am walking away from the game I love to preserve my future health," Tarpley wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday.

The only thing comforting about not knowing this play would be the last of my career, is knowing that I never took a second for granted. After months of introspection, I am retiring from football. I suffered the 3rd and 4th concussions of my career this past season and I am walking away from the game I love to preserve my future health. This decision is the hardest I've made yet but after much research and contemplation I believe it's what is best for me going forward. I'd like to extend my gratitude to everyone that helped me along the way. Thank you to my coaches at Wayzata and Stanford, and to lifelong friends that I was blessed to call teammates. You all molded me into the man I am today. To my family, I'll never be able to repay your unwavering support and love, I just hope that I can continue to show how gracious I am and make you proud. I also want to thank the Buffalo Bills organization, coaches, and teammates for helping me fulfill my lifelong dream in the NFL. Last but not least, I'm proud to be a part of #BillsMafia and playing in front of the best fans in the league is something I won't forget. Thank you God for all that you have blessed me 🙏. I'm excited for my future.

A photo posted by A.J. Tarpley (@ajtarpley) on Apr 6, 2016 at 5:21pm PDT

Tarpley is part of a growing trend of young NFL players to retire because of the health risks associated with playing football, notably former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland.

Sustaining multiple head injuries has been linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE) which has been present in the brains of multiple former NFL players that were suffering from a range of mental health issues and serious cognitive impairments leading up to their deaths.