Players want to play no matter what. If they are old & done, or if hurt, they want to play. They have been conditioned to think that way (to play hurt) otherwise 1. They will lose their jobs and 2. they will be called "soft".
To say "it's up to the player" puts the player at risk 90% of the time.
While I am not a person that agrees with all the "rule" changes that many feel makes the "softer", I am for teams taking a stand with certain types of injuries and telling a player "NO, we are not going to allow you to take that type of risk on our team, and feel it is best for you and your long term health & future to NOT play."
To me that type of statement would not only speak volumes to fans, but also teammates and the NFL as a whole.
Nick is always going to want to play, hell look at Brett Favre, he still wanted to play for how long?! In 2008 I broke my arm (humorous) pitching (literally while I was releasing the ball) in a semi-pro baseball game and now have a rod and 8 screws in it. I can't throw ANYWHERE NEAR what I used but I still want to play. I haven't played in an adult softball game, played catch w/ my sons, or even walked onto a diamond as a player since I broke it, but I still have that urge to go out there.
My point is as a player or former player sometimes you have to have people tell you "enough is enough". In my case my wife had been telling me for a year that she would rather me stop playing. 6 weeks before I broke my arm, my teammate broke his the exact same way, releasing a pitch, and for the 1st time since I started playing ball (at the age of 6) I got scared on the field and started to question and re-evaluate things. After I heard my arm break in mid-pitch, I knew it was over. My wife never told me "I told you to stop", instead she said "let's find something else for you to put as much passion into" (outside my family).
I think (and this is my opinion) that Mrs. Collins & family would rather be safe then sorry with Nick. WE would not have to help Nick with therapy, help him bathe, clean him after he uses the restroom, take him to various Dr. appointments or worse, lay him to rest, THEY WOULD. It seems to me like people are far to concerned with "what it would do to the Packers" vs what it would do to a family.
Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.
Hard work is the price we must pay for success.
I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price