Most of the time, an NFL player’s decline is something we see coming, then watch as it happens over the course of a season or two or three. Seldom does it happen all at once.
But seldom isn’t the same as never. It has happened. Shaun Alexander went from a then-NFL record 28 touchdowns in 2005 to a paltry seven the next season, then down to four then to none then to done.
You could point to age and usage and positional attrition being a running back. None of those explanations apply to Carson Wentz. After a fine rookie season, he was an MVP candidate his sophomore season before suffering a torn ACL late in the year. He was never the same. He is now backing up Patrick Mahomes, and apparently won’t get to play this week given Mahomes is set to go despite a high ankle sprain last week.
Peyton Manning, Deshuan Watson, Daunte Culpepper, Todd Gurley, Antonio Brown … all fell off a cliff — often after an injury or changing teams or both.
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