North Queensland co-captain Michael Morgan is reportedly tossing up his future in the game as a shoulder injury places the 29-year-old's career in doubt.
According to The Sunday Mail, Morgan could be considering retirement as the chronic injury keeps him sidelined for the foreseeable future with a career-defining decision now imminent.
Should Morgan opt for surgery on his troublesome shoulder, it would likely spell the end of his 168-game career with the Cowboys.
There is an opportunity for the five-eighth to undergo rehabilitation that could keep his career alive, but doubts remain over the premiership playmaker's playing future.
Morgan was ruled out of the Cowboys' Queensland clash against the Titans for Round 3, with North Queensland's head of football Michael Luck admitting Morgan could be facing a longer spell on the sidelines than first predicted.
“At the moment he is trying to get through this weekend and see how it goes for early next week,” Luck said, per The Mail.
“I don’t want to make any comment on that (career threatening). We are all hoping that it settles down over the weekend and he’s okay next week.
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“He’s had multiple surgeries on that shoulder so it’s always going to be a problem for him.
“A lot of guys at the back end of their career are like that. I don’t think he’s extraordinary in that regard.
“It got to a point where he wasn’t going to be fit enough to play this weekend.
“He had a couple of tough defensive assignments in the first two weeks.
“The shoulder was sore and not good enough. Hopefully with a quiet weekend he will be okay next week.”
Morgan remains contracted to the Cowboys for a further 2-and-a-half years, with queries surrounding a potential payout by the club.
Should Morgan be deemed to have taken a medically enforced retirement, the reported $2.5 million payout would not be part of the club's salary cap.
Morgan was limited to just the six games last season and made his debut with the club in 2010.