Tight end Coby Fleener remains in the free-agent market after being released by the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason. He is still suffering from a concussion that ended his season last year and hasn’t been cleared for football-related activities yet.

According to Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune, Fleener is optimistic his concussion symptoms will heal eventually, but he remains unsure exactly when that’ll be.

“We think this is going to get better, we just don't know when,” he said.

Despite this being his fifth concussion－not to mention the first one with “head pressure” which he hadn’t felt in his first four－Fleener says he wants to keep playing. He’s been running and lifting weights in preparation for a possible return since he’s not too keen on having his career end this way.

“I guess I've trained really hard to get to this point, and it would be not the ending that I would've written if it were up to me,” he said. “If I can end it differently on a high note, that would probably be ideal.”

Fleener says he’s open to returning to New Orleans, and that other teams have also contacted his agent about his availability. But before he can get back onto the field, he’ll still have to wait for his concussion symptoms to subside before he can get back onto the field.

Fleener is obviously going through a tough situation given the uncertainty with his health and his career. Hopefully, he is able to make a full recovery, not just for the sake of his NFL career but also for his long-term quality of life.