Former Steelers QB Turns to Marijuana to Help Relieve Pain

The post-playing career of football players is a grueling and often painful one after suffering multiple injuries and bone-crushing hits over the course of their career. Look no further than former Steelers QB Charlie Batch to find out that simple fact is true.

Batch dealt with progressive pain throughout the end of his NFL career, to the point where he was getting lots of toradol shots just to play. As he put it, he simply became addicted to pain throughout the season. However, by the time his career had ended, it simply was not sustainable.

So, following his career, the former Steelers quarterback revealed that he would take six-to-eight Aleve’s a day just to deal with the pain. The only issue is that the recommended amount is about one-to-two a day, and it could severely hurt his internal organs should keep down that path. Speaking at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, Batch relived his journey.

“I was taking six-to-eight Aleve’s a day, not the one or two that they recommend,” Batch said. “And at that point, my was like, ‘I’m nervous, and at this pace you’re at right now I don’t think you’re going to have a kidney or a liver in the next 10 years’. So, I didn’t do it when I played, but ultimately learning and educating myself after I finished. My wife was the one who went out to California, educated herself, and spent about a week, came back and said ,’I want you to try these particular products’ because I was having issues walking, sleeping, and it was just irritable.”

Batch is not the only player who turns to weed as a therapeutic alternative. Former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell revealed earlier this month that he used to smoke before games, even when it was still against the collective bargaining agreement.

“Looking back on this, like bro, like, that’s what I did,” Bell said. “When I was playing football, I smoked bro. like even before the games I’d smoke, you know, I’d go out there and run for 150 (yards) two (touchdowns).”

Football is a brutal collision sport, and finding an outlet for that pain is one of the most important things that a football player can do to improve their quality of life after their playing career is finished. Batch is just one of many former players that has turned to marijuana to help relieve the pain from their playing career.