Comedian Druski has turned football culture into comedy many times, but his latest skit has raised a more serious question. His concussion-themed sketch drew a response from former NFL safety T.J. Ward, who believes jokes about CTE deserve more scrutiny.
Ward's criticism comes from a career spent playing a sport where repeated head trauma remains a serious concern.
Ward, a Super Bowl 50 champion with the Denver Broncos, discussed Druski's skit during an episode of "Speakeasy." He did not dismiss every part of the comedy, but he questioned why CTE receives so much casual treatment compared with other serious diseases.
"I think CTE universally is the only disease it's allowed to be made fun of," Ward said . "And when something's funny, it's funny. Some of the situations in that skit, you know, like you said, were a couple of funny moments."
However, he admitted the intention behind the skit, saying, "When something's funny, it's funny. Some of the situations in that skit, you know, like you said, were a couple of funny moments."
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Ward then made it clear that his issue was with the subject rather than comedy itself. He said, "But overall, I'm gonna put my sensitivity cap on like everyone else seems to do when it is affecting them."
"Like you said, these are life-and-death situations," Ward said. "And at the end of the day, it's a life-taking disease."
He then compared the public treatment of CTE with the way other serious illnesses are discussed. "You wouldn't make fun of somebody with cancer. You wouldn't make fun of somebody with dementia. You wouldn't make fun of somebody with AIDS," Ward said.
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The former safety continued, "You wouldn't make fun of anyone with these diseases that are taking lives. But for some reason, across the universal platform, whether it's the social media, fans joking with us about us saying something they don't agree with, 'That's the CTE talking,' it's the only players, football players, people that have effects of collisions and CTE symptoms are the only people that are allowed to be made fun of."
Druski's sketch, titled "ATHLETES GET C0NCUSSI0NS & LOSE THEIR MINDS," follows a fictional football player named 'Ray Price' after multiple head injuries. The character experiences a series of bizarre incidents, including a police chase, destructive behavior, and memory problems.
A mock press conference also features Price struggling to remember his favorite football play. The sketch also features an Instagram post caption that reads , "My teammate got the brain of a doorknob."
CTE can currently be confirmed only after death, making the subject especially difficult for athletes dealing with potential long-term effects from repeated head trauma.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
