The Texans may have an extra spot to fill at the beginning of the Free Agency period as C.J. Fiedorowicz is contemplating retirement due to the numerous amount of concussions he has suffered as of late. C.J. has been contemplating this for the whole off-season, as earlier in the year an article brought up reports of this contemplation, but C.J. never confirmed these reports.
Today, C.J. spoke to Joe Stevenson of the Northwest Herald of Illinois and spoke about the experiences of how he felt with that week 1 concussion that sidelined him for half the year, severe enough to put him on IR. Concussions rarely go to IR unless the team has open spots, and it is towards the end of the season. Rarely are any powerful enough to sideline a player for 8 full weeks before they are able to play on the field again. C.J. explained how “a dude knocked me out… After eight weeks, when I came back, it was constantly on my mind. I wasn’t always able to play loose and free. It was in my head. Anytime that’s on your mind while you’re playing an NFL football game, you’re in trouble. You can’t play timid. Guys are trying to take your head off, you know?” (Joe Stevenson Northwest Herald of Illinois). C.J. explained how he has dealt with and was in constant fear of another big injury happening to his body and his mind. This is an issue that has been widespread (concussions) in the league lately. Many players are fearing for their safety and have decided to end careers earlier than usual because of it.
C.J. is slated to earn around $10-$14 million from his contract that he signed in the beginning of last August. If he were to retire, the Texans would free up the money that they have promised for the next two years, and C.J. would not have to pay anything back as there were no signing bonuses or anything along the lines of an incentive to play. If C.J. does contemplate staying, the Texans can reduce his salary if he does happen to be plagued by injuries again, cutting it by almost 50%. The Texans hope to have C.J. back, but his status and future are unknown.
