Rodney McLeod spent the first weekend in January for the past five years the same way. The Eagles safety would relax at home after a grueling season, put the NFL playoffs on television, and watch with misery.
“Wondering why I’m not out there making those plays or playing in these games,” McLeod said. “What can I do next year? You always come in, ‘this is the year, this is the year.’ ”
For the first five seasons in McLeod’s career, his teams won either six or seven games. Then he’d pack up his locker after Week 17 and refresh his body before starting the whole NFL cycle again.