Aaron Schobel's ninth season with the Buffalo Bills might be his last.

The veteran defensive end told two reporters, including The Buffalo News, that he is

contemplating retirement at the end of the season.

"I don't know my future really, what I'm going to do," Schobel said after practice. "I'm

going to go home and I'm going to think about it and see if this is what I want to do."

Schobel has hinted about retiring to teammates and others since the start of the season. He

cited concerns that his performance is diminishing and injuries might impact his quality of

life beyond football.

Schobel indicated there were "a bunch of things" that will factor into his decision.

"The main thing is just going to have to come down to if this is what I want to still be

doing, if I feel that I can do it at a high level," he said. "I don't think I'm as athletic as

I once was. I can still do a lot of things. But if I'm not as good as I once was or making the

plays I should make, I'm not going to be around."

While the 32-year-old Schobel may have lost a step, it hasn't been that noticeable this

season. After missing the final 11 games last season with a foot injury, Schobel has bounced

back with a solid 2009 campaign. He leads the Bills with seven sacks (the most since posting a

career-high 14 in 2006) and is the team's fifth-leading tackler with 64. He also has four

passes defensed and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown in the opener at New

England.

But Schobel rejected the notion that he's playing at a high level.

"There are some things I've felt like I should have been able to do better and some plays I

think I should have been able to make," he said. "But I did make some because of my

understanding of the game. There's a time when your knowledge of the game can't make up for

your athletic decline. But I don't know if I'm there yet. We'll see."

Though he didn't cite it as a reason he might retire, Schobel has grown weary of losing.

The Bills haven't reached the playoffs during his nine-year tenure. He has been on just one

team that finished with a winning record (9-7 in 2004) and he's playing for his fourth coach

after defensive coordinator Perry Fewell replaced the fired Dick Jauron.

While saying injuries helped sabotage this team, Schobel added the Bills have to improve in

a lot of areas to become a contender.

"I think we need to be more consistent," he said. "I have my opinion, but it's my opinion

and I'll leave it that."

When asked if Schobel had talked to him about retiring, Fewell said bluntly, "No, we

haven't discussed it, and no, he can't."

If Schobel does retire, he'll leave as the second greatest pass rusher in Bills history.

His 75 career sacks rank second on the Bills' all-time list behind only Hall of Famer Bruce

Smith (171).

Schobel's sacks total ranks 10th on the NFL's active list and is fourth among active AFC

players. He made the Pro Bowl in 2006 (as a starter) and 2007, joining Smith and Tom Sestak as

the only Bills to play in consecutive all-star games.

Though Schobel has never gotten credit for being a complete player, his 607 career tackles

suggest he is more than a pass rusher. He also has been remarkably durable, starting 116

consecutive games from his rookie year until 2008 when he was inactive in Game Six due to his

foot injury.

Schobel is under contract through 2013. He became the highest paid athlete in Buffalo

sports history after signing a four-year extension on Aug. 24, 2007. The extension plus the

renegotiated last three years remaining on his previous deal made the total value of his

contract worth $50.5 million over seven years, with $21 million in guaranteed money paid out

over the first four years of the pact.

Schobel is making $6.5 million ($3.5 million base salary and a $3 million bonus) this

season. His 2010 base salary would be $6.025 million and he is due to receive a $2 million

roster bonus in March.

But money isn't enough of an incentive for Schobel to put off retirement. It's important to

him that he doesn't stick around past his prime.

"That's the last thing I want to do," he said. "We'll see what the offseason brings."