Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey's first Super Bowl was a miserable, forgettable experience. He admitted before the game that retirement might be an option, but the 15-year veteran now wants to return next season, even if that means a move to safety.
"I'm not done playing football," Bailey said,via the Denver Post. "So I feel like I'm going to give myself another shot next year," adding that relocating to safety is "something I'd definitely look into ... if it makes sense."
Bailey, who will turn 36 in June, appeared in just five regular-season games last season because of injuries. And while he played well in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots, he looked old and slow in the Super Bowl against a young, athletic Seahawks team. Bailey was beaten soundly by Doug Baldwin on an early third-down conversion that went for 37 yards, and Baldwin burned him again in the fourth quarter to keep a Seahawks drive going.
According to ProFootballFocus.com, Bailey's -2.6 grade for the Super Bowl was the worst in the Broncos' secondary.
Whether Bailey returns to Denver will depend on whether a) the team wants him, and b) he's willing to take a substantial pay cut. His salary carries a $10 million salary-cap hit in 2015, an unwieldy number for a player on the down side of a great career who struggles to stay healthy.
