winslow accident cause players to think

[AGrizzlyBaer]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2058846

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Drew Brees was in the water with great white sharks off the South African coast a couple years ago, and dove near Australia's Great Barrier Reef earlier this offseason.

Yet the fear of injury precludes San Diego's Pro Bowl quarterback from doing everything on his wish list, including downhill skiing and skydiving.

Brees, like most of the NFL players who came to South Florida for the league's annual quarterback challenge, expressed concern for Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who was seriously injured when he crashed his high-powered motorcycle earlier this month.

Winslow might miss the 2005 season.

"You've got to live life, but then again you only have a small window to achieve something not everybody gets a chance to do by playing in the NFL," Brees said Thursday from the challenge, to be taped Friday and televised this summer. "Just kind of weigh those options and see what you can get away with."

The standard NFL contract prohibits players from engaging in potentially dangerous activities, and Winslow could be required to pay back some of the $5.05 million in bonus money he already received from the Browns if he cannot play this season because of his accident.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger -- who was chided recently by coach Bill Cowher for riding a motorcycle without a helmet -- said he and his agent reviewed everything forbidden by his contract as soon as he entered the league.

Roethlisberger said Thursday he doesn't consider himself to be a risk-taker.

"I don't do the crazy things that they say you can't do," Roethlisberger said. "I'm getting a chance to live my life and do the things I want to do. I know there'll be plenty of time for me to do crazy things like skydive and stuff like that when I get older."

Still, St. Louis receiver Torry Holt said he took Roethlisberger aside Wednesday and reiterated the need for caution when taking any undue risk.

"He understands. It's an unfortunate situation with Kellen and I hope he can learn something from this, that we all can learn something from this," Holt said. "I don't know if all agents have gone through [forbidden contract items] with their clients. I think they will now."

Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer was a Heisman Trophy winner at Southern California, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, and received a contract with more than $14 million in bonus money alone.

With that, he said, comes a certain amount of responsibility. So things like skiing and certain water sports will wait until his playing days are done.

"I'd love to do a lot of that stuff, but it's just not worth it," Palmer said. "The organization's invested too much in me and I owe it to them to take care of my body in the offseason, not do risky things like that."

now thats something reassuring to read

[Kazkal]

Carson's the man