Cowboys center Travis Frederick, who missed the entire 2018 season while dealing with Guillain–Barré syndrome before returning for the 2019 campaign, has announced his retirement from the NFL.
“[2019] was a difficult year for me,” Frederick said in a statement released on Twitter. “Each day I faced a struggle: I could no longer perform at my highest level. Playing “well” is not what I expect of myself and is not what my teammates deserve.”
Selected by the Cowboys with the 31st overall pick in the 2013 draft, Frederick is arguably the greatest center of his generation. In his six healthy NFL seasons, Frederick started all 96 possible games, and routinely graded at the top of Pro Football Focus’ center rankings.
Still only 29 years old, Frederick was a key cog in a Dallas offensive line that was the NFL’s best for most of the 2010s. A five-time Pro Bowler (including in 2019), Frederick also earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2016 and second-team berths in 2014 and 2015.
The loss of Frederick creates a massive hole in the middle of the Cowboys’ front five. Veteran Joe Looney, re-signed to a new contract last week, could take over at the pivot, as could 2019 third-rounder Connor McGovern. Alternatively, Dallas could look to the free agent market (where the options are slim), explore a trade for a center, or spend another draft pick on the position.
Clearly, Frederick’s long-term health is the most important factor in his hanging up his cleats, but his retirement will have an effect on the Cowboys’ salary cap. Dallas will incur a dead money charge of $11.04MM in 2020 due to Frederick’s retirement, while the move opens up just $935K in cap space.
Oh Sh_t
Wow. That sucks. Didn’t see this coming. Good luck to Frederick in his post-football endeavors.
That’s not good
Wow, was not expecting this. Huge blow to the Cowboys. Great career for Frederick.
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for em.
There’s a time for this.
Now is not the time.
True
living the rest of your life with less pain certainly can pay off, no?
Damn it
Good luck and best of health
first thought is about the dead $ in his contract
Good Luck to Travis…too bad about the Cowboys cap
Cap and gap. There’s a huge gap in our line now
Another 1st rounder retiring early. Bank it guys and get on w/ your lives.
Frederick will be sorely missed. Thanks for the memories.
Boned the team with this one. I mean he was a Pro Bowler in 2019. He wasnt the top rated C but still graded as above average by PFF. If he is in pain and can’t continue that’s understandable but the prognosis is pretty good for GBD if he was able to get back on the field after missing a year.
Omg he was a pro bowler. How dare he consider his long term health and walk away now.
As for “boning the team” it’s not like he waited til the week before the season started. There’s a lot of time, and the draft, for Dallas to work on finding his replacement.
Hes a pro bowler i.e. his production isnt replaceable. Boning the team with an 11.5M cap hit. Theres no FA center anywhere near his caliber. And no one trades a good center. It’s rare. I literally said if hes in pain that’s understandable so get off your high horse.
Yeah but you’re contradicting yourself by griping that’s he’s somehow doing a malicious disservice to the team AND saying it’s understandable because he’s “in pain”.
go get coughed on
Wow. The longer this discussion goes, the douchier you get.
Sad to see such a great talent be forced to retire.
Thanks Frederick for the years you gave us … its now time to take care of your health. May it be a long healthy life …
Guillain-Barre is a terrible disease. Good luck to him with life…so much more important than football.
Good luck Travis!
gotta give him some credit for managing to even get back on the field last year, let alone for most of the season. that itself was pretty impressive.
maybe taking a year off will enable him to come back in 2022 ?
Damn Looks like Looney snapping again.
See if he files the paperwork
I’m sure a lot of NFC East DT are glad but Frederick was a beast.