It isn’t over until he says it’s over.
Antonio Cromartie has had–dare we say it–a mildly brilliant playing career, and he isn’t quite ready for it to end. During his second stint with the Jets last season, it became clear that he both lost a step and struggles intermittently with injuries, but an Antonio Comartie under 100% is apparently just what the Indianapolis Colts need right now, just a few weeks before the start of the regular season.
Today, the Colts inked a 1-year deal with the former All-Pro cornerback, likely due to the loss of their star cornerback Vontae Davis, who’s been voted to two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team in the last three seasons. Davis is out until at least October with a ligament injury, so on a 1-year, $3 million deal, Cromartie will try to hold the fort down in the Colts secondary.
Though he’s just 32-years-old, Cromartie is considered to be in the twilight of his playing career. In four seasons with the Chargers, he established a reputation as a ball-hawking shut-down corner with above-average ball skills–he intercepted 10 passes in 2007–but watched his production fall after leaving San Diego for New York in 2010. Towards the end of his time with the Jets, Cromartie developed into a formidable #2 playing opposite Darrelle Revis, but the team ultimately allowed him to leave New York for Arizona, where he proved he was still a factor and made the Pro Bowl in his only season as a Cardinal.
Unfortunately, the up-and-down nature of Cromartie’s career appears to be down for the time being. After the Jets chose to cut Cromartie after the first year of a four-year deal, he’ll head to Indianapolis to prove that at 32, he can still get the job done.
