Houston Texans: What C.J. Fiedorowicz might do instead of retirement

The Houston Texans’ off season is well underway but as the transition continues from the 2017 season, there’s one player who deciding how best to proceed with his career. C.J. Fiedorowicz, the tight end that suffered three concussions in one season is contemplating how best to move forward. What’s going on?

Houston Texans fans — this team has been no strangers to having to deal with concussion protocol on multiple occasions last season. Some of its practices garnered national headlines, especially when Tom Savage sustained one when his head hit turf off a legal hit by Elvis Dumervil. It was a horrible sight to witness, watching the man twitch uncontrollably in front of millions of watching eyes.

It was frustrating to watch the nearby down judge just look at him while I imagine he was experiencing some of the worst pain of his life. Savage did go into the blue tent but was cleared to go back into the game albeit him spitting up blood but the Houston Texans medical staff finally came to their senses and pulled him out of the game for good.

That defining moment would ultimately end his season and the NFL did not punish the Houston Texans. A revisit of procedures was made to hopefully not have something like this happen again.

But as we talk about how these concussions are occurring at such a rampant rate as the players get faster, stronger and better, C.J. Fiedorowicz is actually considering retirement from the game after suffering three concussions in one season. I know it’s a tough decision for him but I’ve written a few months back that he should retire because it simply isn’t worth it. One’s quality of life after football is important and it’s not worth paying the price by being out on the gridiron just to satisfy a life-long desire.

C.J. is in that spot now and he talked to the Northwest Herald, his hometown newspaper about such a notion. Fiedorowicz is a native of Johnsburg, Il., a periodical that I’m sure he’s given a lot of interviews, especially early in his career.

He talked about going through a rough patch earlier in the season through his injuries but things have been certainly been on the mend since.

Here’s what he told the Herald’s Joe Stevenson after sustaining his first concussion of 2017:

"“A dude knocked me out,” he said. “After eight weeks (a period on injured reserve), 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?”"

As you know, C.J. went on to suffer two more concussions before being ruled out for the season. The 6’6,” 265-pound tight end just signed a three-year, $21.5 million deal this past off season with $10 million guaranteed and although he did his earnest to be awarded that deal, he’ll likely have to leave some of that on the table.

Fiedorowicz elaborates about that here:

"“I have a backup plan,” he said. “I’ve realized money is not happiness. Money definitely gives you freedom, but I’ve played four years. I’ve accomplished things I wanted to accomplish. It’s more about making my town happy, making my family happy and being able to enjoy the rest of my life.”"

Aaron Wilson of the Chron reports that the Houston Texans do have an out of his contract if he

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should decide to retire, reducing his base salary of $5 million guaranteed for 2018 to $2.8 million because of de-escalator clause embedded.

But Fiedorowicz is still considering an alternative to retirement. The four-year player is actually considering sitting out 2018 and deciding what to do with his career from that point on.

Regardless of what he decides to do, I know it’s a extremely difficult decision for him as well as those surrounding him. But I’m sure that he has enough influences to help advise him to make the best one possible. We’ll have to see how this plays out.

Next: Why spending $105M to fix the Astrodome is sound

The 26-year-old caught 54 balls for 599 yards and four touchdowns through 15 starts in 2016 – a career-high — but because of the injuries, he had just 14 catches off 127 yards with no TDs through five starts in 2017.

Go Texans.

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