It pains me to write this column.
To be completely honest, I feel terrible typing on this keyboard right now. There’s just something that doesn’t feel right about looking ahead at quarterback options when JD Johnson just announced that his football career is over.
Johnson is just a kid. He’s not a college player. He’s not an NFL player. He’s a kid.
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Johnson announced that he could no longer continue playing the sport he loves on Wednesday afternoon. Complications from a birth defect could ultimately lead to him losing more than just football.
In my opinion, we should keep Johnson, whose scholarship will still be honored (as it should be), in our thoughts and wish him well. No front page story. No anything. This is a real person going through some real shit, man.
At the same time, I understand the nature of the beast.
This is a recruiting site, and fans want to know what’s next at quarterback, arguably the most important position on the field and on the recruiting trail. And it’s my job to get you that information.
While Johnson has to cope with a the most devastating news of his life, the world turns, and Jim Harbaugh and company need to find out how they’re going to fill a big void in a 2020 class that is ranked No. 7 nationally.
So let's break it down...