NBC's on-air NFL analyst Rodney Harrison sparked a wave of concern from fans and regular viewers when he seemed to freeze up on the air.
During a broadcast of Sunday Night Football's pre-game analysis with NBC's Football Night in America, the former NFL safety, as seen in the video below, was stuck while answering a question about the coming Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders face-off (which ended 27-26 for the Broncos).
"Yeah, I look at…" he began, before inaudibly mumbling something and defaulting to his co-anchors. He then apologized repeatedly, noting he "forgot" the question, and quickly answered: "They don't have a lot of discipline on the defensive side of the ball."
He cited "a lot of stuff going on," before once again apologizing and concluding his response. Fans on social media quickly expressed their thoughts, going as extreme as suggesting signs of a stroke or the onset of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy, caused often by repeated trauma to the head). Many others noted it could just be an audio issue, or the cold keeping him at bay. Watch it below...
Rodney himself has not spoken on the matter as of writing. Over his 15 years in the sport, however, including nine with the San Diego Chargers and six with the New England Patriots, Rodney, 52, has shared some insight into his health challenges.
During his time
During his tenure with the NFL, which began in 1994 and ended with his retirement in 2009, Rodney was often voted the "dirtiest player" by his peers, most notably for his aggressive style and ability to go head-to-head, quite literally, on the field with his tackling style, which was much more common in the NFL pre-2010.
As a result, he often suffered injuries from his plays, having reportedly suffered as many as 13 concussions during his time as an NFL pro. In the 2005-06 season, he dealt with knee injuries, and in 2008, he tore his quadriceps muscle, aggravating previous knee and leg issues that likely contributed to his decision to retire.
Post-season
Rodney has continued to share some of the more harrowing effects of a long and intense career with the NFL in the years since retiring. In 2013, he appeared on Costas Tonight, per NBC Sports, and proclaimed he was "scared" of how his health will be affected by his plays in the coming years.
"I'm 40 years old and I am scared. . . .," he shared. "My first year, in 1994, one of the first weeks of training camp, I hit Natrone Means. He's a 245-pound running back. I was knocked out. And not once in my first five or six years in the league did I even hear the word 'concussion'."
He called out the NFL for a lack of "education" on post-game health and safety, and limited awareness of the repercussions of concussions and head injuries. "And even since I retired from the Patriots in 2008, I would still experience headaches."
"I would play on Sunday and I would experience headaches up until Tuesday and Wednesday," Rodney continued. "And even now, at times there's a sense of loneliness, a sense of isolation. Some anxiety problems."
His warning to players
During an appearance on Football Night in America in 2022, Rodney issued a stern warning to current players not to ignore head injuries or take them lightly. "I was that guy. I would get hit, the entire stadium is spinning around, and I would go back into the game. It's not worth it."
He outlined some of the possible side effects of repeated concussions, including "depression, anxiety, paranoia, broken relationships, not being able to communicate with your spouse," specifically pointing to CTE. "Please take care of yourself. Don't depend on the NFL. Don't depend on anybody. If something's wrong with your head, report it."