Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick likely won't be returning for the team's stretch run, but the All-Pro blocker is looking forward to a comeback in 2019.
"I'm doing pretty well. Things have started to move along in the right direction," Frederick told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to play football at this point this year, but I feel very good about where I'm headed moving into next year."
Arguably the best center in football, Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the body's nervous system in response to illness, in August.
After initially holding out hope he could play this season, the Cowboys placed Frederick on injured reserve on Oct. 6. Earlier this week, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones admitted it was doubtful Frederick would play this season.
"I have certainly made progress, but at this point in the season, having not been able to do my football movements. ... even if I was 100 percent strength-wise to be able to come back and play. ... I'm still six or eight weeks out from that," Frederick said.
Given the unpredictability of the syndrome, it's impossible for any layperson to predict when Frederick will get his feeling back fully enough to see a football field. The 27-year-old's optimism about 2019, however, is a positive step.
In the meantime, the Cowboys will ride Joe Looney in the pivot as they gallop toward the postseason.
