Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton says he is dealing with the effects of playing in the NFL in his post-career life.
Joining the “Road Less Travel” podcast, Wheaton detailed the numerous injuries he faced during his NFL career and how those injuries still affect him today.
Notably, the repeated hits to his head and concussions continue to creep up, and Wheaton says he is still dealing with the effects of those injuries.
“Too many to count,” Wheaton said about his injuries. “Too many to count. There was a lot of surgeries on the back end. There was concussions, right? So my brain is a little messed up. I’m dealing with that day-to-day.”
Wheaton is still dealing with the aftermath of what he considers multiple concussions, some of which went undetected. There is at least one notable concussion he suffered while at Oregon State, where he was lit up on a pass over the middle of the field.
In addition, Wheaton suffered a torn labrum, torn groin, hamstring issues, and a sprained shoulder. However, in 2017, while with the Bears, he badly injured his pinky, which became too much for Wheaton.
“I go to catch a ball, and my pinky finger, the bone comes out of my pinky,” Wheaton said. “And I look at my hand and my pinky’s off to the side. There’s blood, and I take my glove off. And I’m like (expletive). And it freaking ate me up.”
Wheaton last played in the NFL in 2018 with the Philadelphia Eagles and is now 34. While he is focusing on his life after football, the injuries and effects of those injuries still haunt him in his day-to-day life.