The beginning of Darrelle Revis' 2016 season couldn't have gone any worse. He got outplayed by A.J. Green, which wasn't unexpected because Green is awesome, and then surrendered an 84-yard bomb to Marquise Goodwin, which was unexpected because Goodwin is not A.J. Green. To make matters worse, Revis then dealt with a hamstring injury.
At 31, the days of Revis serving as a shutdown corner are gone. Even he might admit that. Speaking with Newsday, Revis admitted that his body isn't what it used to be.
"My body's breaking down," Revis said.
He continued.
"Yeah, I am. I mean, not in a bad way. I can still play," Revis said. "It's just, I'm breaking down. I'm 31. How many corners are 31 right now in the league? The league's getting younger. I know [Vikings cornerback Terence] Newman's still playing [at 38], which is impressive. But I don't know how he's doing it."
Still, Revis told Newsday that he isn't thinking about stepping away from the game, which makes sense. He's played better in recent weeks, even if he's no longer one of the game's top cornerbacks. Against the Ravens this past weekend, Revis was targeted by Joe Flacco on five occasions. He allowed just one completion for 11 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
"I'm not thinking about retirement at this moment," Revis said. "I've just got to continue to take care of my body. Some of the past injuries, they linger. They linger."
Revis underwent surgery on his wrist this offseason. In 2012, he also had microfracture surgery after tearing his ACL. He even contemplated retirement at the time.
There's no doubt that injuries have played a role in his decline. This season, quarterbacks have posted a 110.4 passer rating when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus. A year ago, that figure was 56.5.
