Many people believed Ellis Hobbs' NFL career was over seven months ago, after he suffered another neck injury, but the 28-year-old cornerback insisted Saturday that he hasn't made a decision about his future.
"All I'm doing is relaxing," Hobbs told the *Boston Herald*. "Because of the lockout, it's just giving me extra time to work on other things. But none of the doctors have said I need to shut it down, I need to stop playing. I myself haven't even thought about that, or going that route. I've weighed both sides of it, and I'm pretty comfortable where I am right now."
Hobbs took a hit to the helmet on the second-half kickoff during his Philadelphia Eagles' 27-17 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 21. He had full movement of all extremities and gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carted off the field.
A neck injury also ended Hobbs' 2009 season, and a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora in November that the cornerback "very likely" would retire after having his second surgery.
If Hobbs decides to play next season, he would be an unrestricted free agent. He has 225 tackles and 10 interceptions in his six-year NFL career, which he started as a New England Patriot.
If Hobbs does choose retirement, he has a backup plan. He returned to Iowa State University in 2009 to receive his bachelor's degree in art and design, fulfilling a promise to his mother after he left school seven credits short.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
