NFL tells rookies to hire “fall guys”?

Chris Borland, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, sent shockwaves around the football world when he retired from the game after a great rookie season, citing health concerns.

He may have just sent a bigger ripple in his retirement.

In a profile for ESPN the Magazine, Borland offered some insight on how the NFL encourages rookies to hire “fall guys” in case the player gets into trouble. This “fall guy” takes the blame or jail time should the player run afoul with the law.

Per ESPN:

"Shortly after he was drafted by the 49ers in the third round last year, Borland attended the annual rookie orientation put on by the NFL. The league tries to prepare young players for what to expect on and off the field, and it brought in two prominent retired players to give the rookies advice.“Get yourself a fall guy,” Borland says one of the former players advised. The former player, whom Borland declined to name, told the rookies that if they ran into legal trouble, their designated fall guy would be there to take the blame and, if necessary, go to jail. “We’ll bail him out,” Borland says the former player assured them.Borland was appalled. “I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Should I walk out? What am I supposed to do?'” he recalls. He says he didn’t leave the room because he didn’t want to cause a scene, but the incident stayed with him."

Borland’s claim comes at the heels of an offseason when 23 NFL players were arrested, according to Sports CheatSheet. Maybe these guys all missed the memo?

However, if what Borland says is true there should be more fallout for this than all the bounty, bully, and deflating scandals put together.

If this is true, the NFL is encouraging players to have someone else take the blame for crimes they committed for money. They are enabling a destructive attitude and lifestyle outside the game with the player being expected to not be held accountable.

If that’s the message the NFL is purveying to their rookies, how can they expect any of their players or employees to accept accountability? They’ve created a professional atmosphere where it’s encouraged to avoid it on and off the field.

What do you think about this news? If this is true, is this the shadiest thing brought to the light about the NFL? Do you think Borland has some anti-football agenda? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.