Some time in the next eight weeks, Buffalo Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel is expected

to make a decision on his future in the NFL.

"I'm scheduled to talk with Ralph [Wilson] and Russ [Brandon] and try to make a decision,"

said Schobel on Monday, referring to the team's owner and chief executive officer.

Schobel revealed a couple weeks ago he has been contemplating retiring after the season. He

reiterated that it's an issue he will need to seriously consider.

"When you're losing it's just not a good feeling in the locker room," Schobel said.

"Winning would have revived me a little more. I haven't made a decision. I'm going to think

about it and make the best decision I can make for everybody."

Schobel indicated that what happens with the Bills' coaching search isn't the biggest

factor in his decision. He said several weeks ago that he does not want to keep playing if he

thinks his performance is declining. Schobel's ninth NFL season, however, was a good one. He

finished with a team-high 10 sacks.

"I have to see if that's really what I want to do," he said. "If that's what's best for my

family and what's best for me and even the Bills. So I'm going to take some time. If I'm going

to do it, I'm going to try to do it the best I can. I don't want to come in here and half-ass

it. It's not just a 16-game season, it's a year-long process."

Schobel, 32, said his wife and three children will stay in his native Columbus, Texas, next

season regardless of his decision.

"They're going to stay home for sure," he said. "If I decide to play, we'll try to figure

out the best way to make it work because I'm not going to be away from them for four months.

That isn't going to happen. So we'll see."

***

Terrell Owens avoided any predictions on where he will play next season, although it's a

virtual lock he will not be returning to the Bills. The contract of Owens, 36, is up.

"I think anything is possible, and I think for myself, just be patient, wait things out and

weigh my options," he said.

Asked about the importance of the Bills stabilizing the quarterback position, Owens said:

"Well, I think that's one of the things that has to be addressed, and obviously you have to

protect the quarterback at the same time. I think there were some issues that I didn't really

know about before I got here, and that was obviously the release of Jason Peters, or not the

re-signing of him. So other than that, those things kind of go hand in hand, but you definitely have to have a quarterback."

On what was his greatest disappointment about the season: "Personally, I think just not

being utilized the way I envisioned," Owens said. "Being able to stretch the field and exploit

matchups with myself and Lee [Evans]. ... With a lot of the injuries and definitely being

young on the front line, and obviously the quarterback shuffling. I think Alex [Van Pelt]

probably had one of the toughest jobs, being thrown into the offensive coordinator position

right at the beginning of the season with short notice. There were a lot of things that

factored into it."

Owens finished with a team-high 55 catches for 829 yards and scored six touchdowns. It was

his lowest catch total for a full season since his rookie year and his lowest TD total for a

full season since 1999.

***

Fred Jackson on becoming the first NFL player to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards

in kickoff returns in a season: "That's fun. It's definitely something I'll be able to tell my

grandkids. It's something that I'm excited about especially coming from where I came from. To

be the first guy to do it, it's a big deal and something that I'm definitely proud of."