I think we have seen peak Aaron.
Physically, he could go on another 4-5 years.
But Aaron has always been an elite talent driven by off-the-charts motivation. That drive peaked 7 days ago.
I think there's a really good chance he hangs them up. His "Run it back" acquiescence was pretty halting. He's a lock for the Hall, has won it all, and shows definite signs of having spent his drive.
I suspect that, if he does return, he'll be a bit less driven. Now 88% motivated Aaron is still pretty good. But he is a small player who has to be driven to be effective. He will be driven by pride, but that's not the same as his previous devouring hunger.
In any case, he will begin to age out fairly soon, due to age and size.
There's a Rich Eisen segment with W Sapp. Very instructive. Sapp is extremely complimentary. But he speaks of the pain of playing the position and finds it very credible that AD would move on.
AD is magnificent and got us a ring. Without him ... not even close.
But all careers end and the FO must be looking beyond him. First, they need to get a firm grasp of his willingness for next year. Even if he plays, they need to become less reliant on him. We have seen peak Aaron.
