C.J. Fiedorowicz

Concussions may force Texans' C.J. Fiedorowicz to retire

Houston Texans tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz may be forced to retire after suffering his fourth concussion in the last two seasons, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

What It Means:

Fiedorowicz was placed on injured reserve last week after suffering his third concussion of the year. The 26-year-old has to pass a team physical in order to continue his career, but has a lengthy history of brain injuries (including four in the last two calendar years). Despite what seems like a prohibitive $21 million contract, Fiedorowicz's deal includes a de-escalator that would reduce his base salary to $2.8 million if he were cut due to a pre-existing injury – such as a concussion.

Fiedorowicz saw 23 targets before being deactivated this season, earning just 0.40 Reception Net Expected Points (NEP) per target. That ranked as the third-worst rate of Reception NEP per target among 29 tight ends to see 20-50 targets through Week 13.