(Photo: Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports)
Not many professional athletes can have the ending John Elway had in retiring by winning a championship. Champ Bailey almost had that if the Broncos won the Super Bowl last month. Instead, he will be getting his release from the Broncos. The decision was made yesterday by the organization.
No one should have been surprised. Bailey has not been effective in the last couple of seasons, and the Broncos were not going to pay $10 million or rework a deal to bring him back.
The Broncos cornerback had to know this day was coming sooner or later. He wasn’t going to be immune because of his once great status. He knows guys become replaceable once their skills diminish. He knew his Broncos days were over after he was burned on couple of touchdowns in the Super Bowl.
It happens to any athlete once they are in their late 30s. No one plays forever in sports. Football players tend to lose their skills once they hit 30. Bailey was fortunate to play at an elite level in his first few years of his 30s.
The Broncos are not in the business of being sentimental. They need to find the right guys that are effective on defense. After watching the Seahawks throttle them in the Super Bowl, they realize they need dynamic young players that can be difference makers for years to come from watching the Seahawks’ success.
It’s unfortunate this happened to Bailey. It shows he is not immune to the harsh reality of sports.
For the future Hall of Famer, he plans not to retire. He feels he can contribute to a team that has Super Bowl aspirations. Maybe he can do something as a role player for a team like the 49ers or Seahawks if there is an opportunity for him. He was close to winning a championship last season, and he wants to get that feeling again. He played for 14 years to be in a position to win a championship, and he wants to get one more year in.
Good for Bailey for being persistent in his dreams of being a champion. Here’s hoping he can play in the Super Bowl.
This isn’t about him wanting to stay in the league for long. This isn’t about him refusing to retire. It’s about winning that Super Bowl ring for him.
For all what he has accomplished in the NFL such as being a seven-time All Pro, two-time NFL defensive back of the year and 12-time Pro Bowler, he knows his career will be validated by winning a championship. That’s how great players are judged. That’s why he has kept playing at 35.
Bailey also feels he has much to offer to young players. He has embraced being a role of a mentor to young players such as Chris Harris Jr., Danny Trevathan, Rahim Moore and among others. He feels he can do the same for other young players if he is employed by a contender. He can be a coach on the field, which is what he has done with the Broncos in recent years.
Whether he gets that chance, it’s another thing. Maybe the 49ers could be that team. If there is a head coach who can maximize the most of a player by putting a player in a position to succeed, it’s Jim Harbaugh.
It would have been nice if Bailey would have won a championship as a Bronco. He put in his heart and soul in the 10 years he played in Denver. It’s too bad the Broncos wasted his best years, but at least, he finally played in one this past season.
Bailey always conducted himself like a professional on and off the field. He was a fan favorite for a reason. He did so many great things for the Broncos, and that’s why he will be in the Broncos Hall of Fame.
There’s no hard feelings on Bailey’s part about his release. He knows the deal. He knows nothing last forever. He is fortunate to spend 10 years with the Broncos. He knows not many players have that opportunity with the short shelf life of the NFL.
Bailey’s regret was not winning a championship as a Bronco. He knows how much the team would spend to build a first-class operation, and he understood the passion that Broncos fans had for their team. He wanted to do it for Pat Bowlen and the fans.
He won’t get that opportunity. The team decided to move on. Such is life in sports.
Bailey won’t have that happy ending that Elway had in Denver, but the show goes on for him.
There should be no regrets on anyone’s end. It was a happy marriage for 10 years. Life has to go on for the Broncos and Bailey.
Bailey can’t afford to be sentimental now. He has to hope now a Super Bowl contender seeks his service.
For him, he hopes the show goes on albeit a different uniform.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter.
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
