Vince Wilfork Says He's Still Deciding Whether or Not to Play in 2017 NFL Season

Vince Wilfork has been lingering on the open market since the start of free agency, but the 35-year-old defensive tackle said Wednesday he isn't ready to call it quits just yet.

Appearing on ESPN Radio's Russillo Show, Wilfork confirmed he's in wait-and-see mode in advance of the 2017 season.

"What retirement is, I want to make sure I'm 100 percent committed to whatever I'm going to do," he said, according to ESPN.com news services. "I'm not saying that I'm going to retire, and I'm not going to say that I'm retired."

In April, Texans general manager Rick Smith told reporters it was his "expectation" that Wilfork would not be playing in 2017, according to the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson.

Following a prosperous 11-year stint with the New England Patriots that included five Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection, Wilfork latched on with the Texans for two seasons starting in 2015.

During that stint, the burly interior lineman played a supplementary role in the middle of Houston's 3-4 defense. However, his effectiveness dipped quite noticeably in 2016 when he posted a meager 21 total tackles in 15 games.

According to Pro Football Focus, Wilfork finished with the lowest grade (45.1) among all front-seven players on the Texans last season.

Also consider that D.J. Reader was tabbed as Wilfork's successor back in January, and the veteran's run in Houston appears to be over.