Do Shutdown Cornerbacks Still Exist in Today’s NFL?

July 18, 2016   ·   Brent Sobleski   ·   Jump to comments

Shutdown cornerbacks still exist; they're just harder to identify in today's pass-happy NFL.
So many yards are accumulated through the air that it makes the term "shutdown" anachronistic, or at least relative to how the game is currently played.
The days of Deion Sanders no longer exist. Cornerbacks aren't completely shutting down one side of the field and being avoided like the plague by opposing quarterbacks. The game is geared toward offense after years of rule changes favoring passing attacks.
What actually defines a shutdown corner when the game is stacked against the position?
The Denver Broncos' Chris Harris Jr. provided a description for NFL Media's Bucky Brooks:
Guy who's not giving up touchdowns. I think in this league, those "tubs" [touchdowns] are the games that you win or lose. And if you ain't giving up touchdowns, you're doing whatever you can for your team to win that game. Also, in those big, key third downs -- those big, key plays -- you gotta...

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