http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7243606/nfl-players-tony-romo-ronde-barber-rely-new-painkiller-toradol

"Toradol is a wonder drug," says former All-Pro safety Darren Sharper, who retired last year after 14 NFL seasons. "You get a shot in the butt, and within 10 minutes nothing hurts. And that feeling lasts the entire day."

A generation ago, cortisone was the NFL's wonder drug. Today, we know cortisone can lead to tissue damage, bone degeneration and ultimately bone death. Not much is known about Toradol's long-term risks yet, but the drug is banned in several European countries because of concerns about potential gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers and surgical bleeding.

While the long-term effects are unknown, some physicians worry about the short-term problems players ignore. Although Toradol is technically not a numbing agent, many players say they feel diminished sensations when it's in their system. That presents a problem because pain is the brain's way of sending the body a message. In the case of NFL players, that message is: Don't play. Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi, a University of Pennsylvania orthopedist who served as the Eagles team physician from 1995 to 2002, wonders, "You have to be very careful with it -- do drugs like Toradol enable players to play, or do they cause further injury?"

"It does mask pain," says Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber. "But that's the price you pay when you play through injuries."

"We're a commodity," Barber says. "We're useful only when we're on the field."