Jerry Rice recently made a comment in ESPN The Magazine about how he could keep playing if he “wanted”to. I don’t doubt that for a second. I recall him showing up at practice in 2017 running drills and holding his own. Honestly, I thought he looked good and I think he could run some routes and catch some balls against those young guys.
Just one problem: could he sustain the punishment a hit gave him? I understand he’s in amazing shape, but running routes and doing drills is much different than hopping in pads and getting knocked off your feet. Now, maybe he definitely could stay on his feet and catch balls, I don’t know how age would factor into some of those crushing blows even he would take. It’s just the one question I’d wonder—could he get up after getting torpedoed?
Beyond that, I think it’d be awesome to see him playing in an NFL uniform again. I know it will never happen, but if anyone could hold their own, it’d be the GOAT.
55-year-old Jerry Rice thinks he could still play (Pro Football Talk)
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