Johnsburg grad Fiedorowicz retires from NFL after suffering 3 concussions last season

The Houston Texans placed Johnsburg grad C.J. Fiedorowicz on the reserve-retired list Wednesday after he suffered three concussions during the 2017 season.

Fiedorowicz’s contract also has reportedly been reworked, with his base salary reduced to $790,000 this season with a renegotiated signing bonus of $1.971 million.

Fiedorowicz, 26, signed a three-year, $22 million contract with $10 million guaranteed last August.

Fiedorowicz was inducted into the Johnsburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame last month and told the Northwest Herald he was mulling retirement.

“I have a backup plan,” he said in February. “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.”

By being placed on the reserve-retired list, the Texans maintain their rights to Fiedorowicz if he decided to return to football.

Fiedorowicz’s agent Jack Bechta said Fiedorowicz has had time to think about the decision and is excited about the next chapter in his life.

“I reminded him that only a handful of people get to play professional sports, let alone in the NFL,” Bechta said. “If you play for one year or 15, you’ve done something that not many of your peers can do. You can use what you’ve accomplished there as a springboard for whatever else you want to do in life. As a metaphor for life, you can accomplish anything.”

Fiedorowicz felt he was in excellent physical shape this offseason and said his body felt great. But the repeated blows to the head affected his outlook on playing.

“A dude knocked me out,” Fiedorowicz said in February. “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?”

• Northwest Herald sports editor Kyle Nabors contributed to this report.