Texans TE C.J. Fiedorowicz suffered his third concussion of the season last week, which was at least the fourth time he has been concussed in the past two years. Houston placed the 26-year-old on IR earlier this week, thereby ending his season, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Fiedorowicz’s unfortunate concussion history could force him to retire.
In order to continue playing, he would need to pass a team physical, and Schefter says there are no assurances that he could do so at this point. Houston selected Fiedorowicz, an Iowa product, in the third-round of the 2014 draft, and after the former Hawkeye broke out in 2016 with 54 catches for 554 yards and four touchdowns, the Texans rewarded him with a three-year, $21.5MM extension last offseason (including $10MM guaranteed).
However, as Schefter observes, Fiedorowicz’s deal did include a de-escalator that would bring down his base salary by $2.8MM if he were to be cut as a result of a pre-existing condition such as a concussion, so the team was clearly concerned about the tight end’s history.
Fiedorowicz was placed on IR in early September due to a concussion, and he returned to the Texans’ active roster in Week 10 before succumbing to his latest head injury last week. He finished what could be his final season with 14 catches for 127 yards.
*Should
Great talent, but he’s too susceptible to concussions. He should retire.