Fletcher Cox’s regression has arrived and here’s some evidence

1. Fletcher Cox isn’t immune to aging.

We may think that NFL stars are superhuman, but they aren’t. They’re people, and as talented as the stars of the NFL are, they aren’t any less likely to be visited by Father Time.

Fletcher Cox has enjoyed what has been a relatively healthy run. He’s never missed more than two games in any NFL season. He’s appeared in all 16 games in six of his first nine seasons. That’s a ton of snaps for any man.

Imagine the constant double teams. Imagine being worn down by 300-pound offensive linemen and having to take down ball carriers that are charging right at you 20 times a game with a full head of steam.

Sure, NFL stars have evolved and are some of the best athletes on Planet Earth. Linebackers are 265 pounds and run the 40-yard dash in less than five seconds for goodness sakes, but again, even though most of us don’t have first-hand knowledge of this, there has to be some truth in the fact that, for any man who’s spent ten seasons playing football at the game’s highest level, 30 may not be the new 20. 30 might just be the same old thirty.

You’ve noticed that Fletch doesn’t fight through those double-teams like he used to, haven’t you?