Ryan Swope injury: Cardinals WR placed on reserve/retired list

It appears Ryan Swope will never play a down in the NFL, as the Arizona Cardinals have announced the rookie wide receiver drafted in this year's sixth round will be moved to the reserve/retired list due to nagging concussion issues.

Although the receiver who ran a 4.34 40 at the NFL Draft combine seemed like a great pick when the Cardinals selected him, worrying signs soon began to surface. The 22-year-old had suffered two concussions playing at Texas A&M, and didn't receive medical clearance through OTA's, something that left the team "very, very surprised." Swope had been listed as a second-stringer on the Cards' depth chart behind Larry Fitzgerald.

Swope caught passes from two elite quarterbacks with the Aggies: he recorded 1,207 yards receiving passes from Ryan Tannehill in 2011, then had 913 yards his senior season with Heisman winner Johnny Manziel under center. Finishing his career with 3,117 yards receiving, he left College Station as the school's leader in career receptions, single-season receiving yardage and single-season receptions.

Although it's depressing that Swope's football career will never reach the pros, the tales of players battling through their post-football lives due to concussions suffered in the pros are even worse. If this is the best thing for Swope's long-term health and mental well-being, that's more important than any accomplishments he could have had in the NFL.

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