It was reported that former Bears SS Dave Duerson committed suicide, and asked that his brain be left for research. Duerson had gone through a number of personal set backs over the past several years, and his former coach Mike Ditka considered it a tragedy. It also brings the spotlight again on a "concussion crisis" in sports.
I had been reading about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and the MMA over at Bloody Elbow. There's a lot of pressure for those fighters to get back in there after a concussion. The post even has a reference to former Bengals WR Chris Henry, who was subsequently diagnosed with CTE. It's not something that can be diagnosed while the person is still living, and it may have been the same illness that hounded Duerson.
The Green Bay Packers had their own issues with concussions as QB Aaron Rodgers had two of them last season. That's not a guarantee that he'll have similar problems. Everyone reacts differently to head trauma. But as the NFL is looking to expand the risks that players face in a potential 18-game regular season, their players health should be more of a consideration.