The NFL trenches are not for the faint of heart.
Joe Staley spent 13 seasons doing battle in them, and boy did it wear his body down. The now-retired 49ers tackle recently explained how a doctor's appointment steered him towards ending his playing career, but that wasn't the half of it.
Staley joined the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast co-hosted by Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan on Monday, and went further into detail about the injuries he had been dealing with.
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"It was a bunch of stingers," Staley explained. "… It got to the point where in the Super Bowl, I'd make contact with my head with anybody (and) I'd have -- from the base of my head down to my back -- I'd have just a zing and my arms would go numb. I had herniations at a bunch of different levels and really severe stenosis."
Staley mentioned a "deteriorating neck condition" when he announced his retirement from the NFL last month, but stopped short of going detail. The aforementioned doctor's appointment clarified things for him.
"[The doctor] was like, 'If you're going to continue to play football, you're probably going to have to have fusion surgery on multiple levels,'" Staley said. "I was like, ‘I'm 35. I've got kids. I don't want to not be able to turn my neck for the rest of my life."
"When I went and saw these doctors, I realized how serious it was," Staley added. "They were like, 'If you continue to play, you're going to really do some long-term damage.'"
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Staley had a legendary career, and will go down as one of the all-time greats in 49ers' franchise history. But, based on the doctor's diagnosis, it sure sounds like he made the right decision to call it a career when he did.
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