Browns linebacker Scott Fujita says he’s not sure if he’ll ever play football again after suffering a season-ending neck injury.
“It’s still too early,” Fujita told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I’m still digesting the news of being put on IR and the injury and everything else, so it’s a little too early to rush into a decision like that. I need time, I need to breath a little bit, get back with my family and keep all options open with my doctors in time.”
Fujita indicated that his wife is worried about his long-term health if he tries to play again, and that’s one reason he may call it quits.
“We’ve had a lot of very private conversations and we will continue that dialogue,” said Fujita. “I almost didn’t even want to tell her that I was getting the MRI. There’s a big picture we’ve got to look at here, too.”
Still, Fujita would miss his football family if he left.
“It’s something special about this game,” Fujita said of the camaraderie with teammates. “I love this game. It’s been good to me, and it’s something about crossing the white lines with 10 of your buddies, looking in the same direction, locking jaws, locking arms and saying, ‘All right, let’s go.’ There’s something special about that, and that’s why we play this game.”
And that’s what Fujita will miss if he has played for the last time.