Cardinals rookie wide receiver Ryan Swope has been placed on the reserve / retired list, the club said Thursday.
According to the Cardinals’ website, Swope’s “ongoing concussion issues” were behind the decision.
“We knew Ryan has a concussion history in college and understood that it could possibly be an issue,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim said, according to AzCardinals.com. “But weighing all the elements -- the medical information available, the particular position in the draft -- it was a decision we were comfortable making. As it turned out, he had a setback after he got here. Over the course of the subsequent evaluations, we all decided that Ryan’s long-term well-being was the number-one priority and this was the best course to take.”
The Cardinals selected Swope in the sixth round in April. The No. 174 overall pick, Swope played collegiately at Texas A&M.
UPDATE 8:16 p.m. ET: Swope issued a statement via the Twitter account of his representatives, Rep 1 Sports:
“As a result of a concussion I suffered during OTAs, I was advised by doctors that there were serious risks in returning to play football at this point,” Swope said. “It has been a lifelong dream to play in the NFL but my long-term health interests outweigh my current goals for football. Because of that, I am electing to retire from the game for now and then reassess my future after this season. In the meantime, I plan to return to Texas A&M to pursue my degree.
“I want to thank the Arizona Cardinals organization for the opportunity and their support. I wish the team much success this season.”