Making it to the NFL is hard… but sticking around is even harder. There is a reason that you see all of those crazy stats around the average lifespan of the average NFL player’s career—and how quickly the league turns over.
It isn’t just guys who struggle to get a foothold in the league who have a hard time developing staying power, either.
It isn’t uncommon for well-established players to have one or two bad seasons—and next thing you know—the entire trajectory of their career has changed in the blink of an eye.
They can even find themselves out of football entirely!
How about we look around the NFL and identify ten players that are make or break for this upcoming season?
Which ten NFL players are vying to bounce back or falter in 2024?
Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys
Coming out of Ohio State, Ezekiel Elliott became—and was—the bell cow for the Cowboys for quite a few years… But let’s be honest—he’s not the same back who was racking up 1,000-yard seasons like clockwork.
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He spent last year in New England, his first and only season outside of Dallas, and looked like a shell of himself. Every once in a while, you would get a spark, but it was in the form of seeking out an extra couple of yards up the middle—not the gashers we were used to seeing from him.
When all was said and done, he finished with 642 rushing yards and only five total touchdowns—three on the ground and two in the passing game.
Now, he is back in Dallas… However, he is not expected to be the same workhorse that he once was, as the Cowboys are leaning toward a running back by committee approach, and thus, Zeke’s role is shifting.
His days as the focal point of the offense are behind him—and while he is expected to still be valuable in pass protection and short-yardage situations, he’ll have to prove it…
Otherwise, he may find himself out of work! After all, he is turning 30 next summer, and teams don’t exactly go around looking for dinosaur running backs to give second and third chances to with the massive influx of young talent at the position.
Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson was recently announced as the starter for Pittsburgh’s opener in what is now looking like the nine-time Pro Bowler’s last chance to revive a career that has stalled since his days as a star in Seattle.
Stalled might be putting it lightly…
Wilson is in a career tailspin, and Pittsburgh might be his last chance to pull out of it.
He had a disastrous stint in Denver that saw him go from Super Bowl champ to a punchline, as he posted a 17 and 27 record that somehow looked worse than the record would even indicate.
He’ll have first crack at it for the Steelers, but with Justin Fields waiting in the wings, there won’t be much room for error—and Wilson is now battling for his football future with the Steelers.
There is additional cause for concern because the undersized quarterback was apparently also slowed by a calf injury in training camp, and there is some belief that it could linger into the early weeks of the season.
But that’s the nature of the beast in the NFL… You have to be willing and able to muster the toughness to play through injuries—and if Wilson can’t–he may find himself officially on the chopping block.
A.J. Terrell, CB, Atlanta Falcons
Playing cornerback in the NFL is a thankless job—one mistake, and you’re on a highlight reel for all the wrong reasons. Falcons’ young corner, A.J. Terrell, knows this all too well.
He had a breakout year in 2021 that saw him named a Second-Team All-Pro, but since then, Terrell’s production has dipped over the last two seasons.
And the man that the Falcons expected to be their top corner for years to come now hasn’t recorded an interception since 2021… And even worse—his overall impact on the game has waned.
Now that he is entering the final year of his rookie contract, Terrell is at a crossroads.
He will either reawaken the narrative that places him among the league’s best young corners… or continue in this troubling spiral… And unfortunately, his recent performances suggest the latter—and have ultimately raised questions about his future in Atlanta.
After all, the numbers tell a worrying story—Terrell ranked 61st in receptions allowed and 66th in yards allowed last season. If he doesn’t bounce back in 2024, the Falcons might decide to move on from their former first-round pick—especially now that there is a new coaching regime in charge that has no attachment to him!
Jordan Poyer, Free Safety, Miami Dolphins
Jordan Poyer made an unable career transition in Western New York in the past few seasons when he became a key piece of the Buffalo Bills’ defense.
I mean… We are talking about a guy who was a seventh-round pick and an afterthought acquisition for the Bills in 2017—and turned into a bonafide All-Pro and the heart and soul of that defense.
Parting ways with him wasn’t a popular decision, but as we know, the NFL is a business, and the Bills made a business decision to cut ties with the veteran safety to save cap space—around $5.7 million dollars—which in a capped league is a meaningful amount.
Poyer decided to try his luck for another AFC East team and inked a deal with the Miami Dolphins, where he is going to have two chances this season to show the Bills directly that he’s got something to prove!
Which, at 32, it is getting high time for him to do. After all, Poyer’s production has been on the decline—2023 was the first season since 2016 where he didn’t record a single interception—and
Poyer did manage to rack up 100 tackles and a sack last season, but the lack of big plays is concerning. He’s not getting any younger, and in a league that’s always looking for younger, cheaper talent, Poyer needs to have a strong season to avoid being phased out. This season in Miami could be his last shot to prove he’s still a starting-caliber safety in the NFL.
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Jahan Dotson, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
Jahan Dotson was supposed to be a breakout star for the Washington Commanders in 2023, but things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
The young receiver showed flashes, catching 49 passes for 518 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn’t the leap many expected.
However, in his defense, Washington’s entire offense struggled last season, and Dotson’s numbers suffered as a result.
With the new coaching staff that has come to power in the Nation’s capital, Dotson was shipped out of town—to a division rival, no less, in the Philadelphia Eagles.
And, well, the pressure is on!
While he’s still young, he will be expected to produce in this talented Eagles offense.
And if Dotson can’t carve out a significant role, he might find himself slipping down the depth chart.
This season is his chance to show that he’s more than just potential—that he’s a playmaker. If he doesn’t, his time in the spotlight could be short-lived.
Bryce Young, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young entered the NFL with inherently sky-high expectations as the first overall pick, but his rookie season didn’t exactly go as planned. In fact, it went just about as badly as it possibly could’ve.
Not only was considerable doubt cast on the narrative that he was… or would be—the franchise savior—but there is now a legitimate belief that he could be among the biggest busts of all time.
The team… and the offense, specifically, were both terrible. And Young looked lost out there.
Fortunately, heading into this season, the Panthers have done a little bit more to support their young quarterback by bringing in wide receiver Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette in the first round.
Not to mention that he has a new head coach in Dave Canales—who has a reputation for getting the best out of quarterbacks.
Young has a chance to turn things around, but he needs to show he can handle the pressure of being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
If he doesn’t take a big step forward this season, the Panthers might start looking for their next franchise quarterback sooner than expected.
And if it is as ugly as last year, who knows if another team will have an interest in bringing him in—even as a backup!
Will McDonald IV, DE, New York Jets
Will McDonald IV was a first-round pick in 2023, but his rookie season was a far cry from what the Jets were hoping for.
The rookie posted just three sacks during the year, and there were serious questions about his motor skills throughout the year.
Needless to say, McDonald didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
The Jets were expecting more from their young pass rusher last year—and heading into 2024—they are going to need him to take a big step forward, especially with the continued stalemate with Haason Reddick.
There have been some recent reports that it could end before Week 1 starts, but who knows?
Fortunately, McDonald says he was putting in the work this offseason, explaining: “I was really here most of the summer just trying to add weight and just learning more about the game,” McDonald said. “I was here just helping others, and it’s just doing what I have to do to be ready for the season. I want to be ready.”
But the second-year player will have to prove it!
The Jets are desperate to see the bend and burst that he showed as a pass rusher at Iowa State come to life at the NFL level—and it is getting to the point that it is make or break for him.
Stefon Diggs, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans
Stefon Diggs has been one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers for years, but it’s starting to look like his best days are behind him.
Granted… He did have a scorching start to the 2023 season, where he posted five 100-yard games in the first six weeks, but Diggs faded down the stretch. Over his final 13 games, including the postseason, he never topped 87 yards in a single game—a stark contrast to his early-season dominance.
And with the way that his negative attitude can permeate through a locker room—he can’t afford to start having his production slip. Not if he wants to stay in the league!
Now, Diggs is with the Houston Texans, and he’s got to show people that he’s still got it at 30 years old.
There’s no doubt that he will still be a good player, but if he’s not the game-changing force he once was, he could fall out of favor fast.
The good news for Stefon is he will have every opportunity to do so, as he is expected to be a big part—if not the focal point of that high-powered Texans offense.
But if he falters—he may have a hard time finding work sooner than he expected—in part due to his terrible attitude and diva-like antics.
Sam Darnold, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold has been living on the edge of the NFL for a few years now, and 2024 might be his last chance to prove he belongs. The former third-overall pick has struggled to find success in the league, failing to make a mark with both the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
After spending a season as the backup in San Francisco, Darnold now found an opportunity to start for the Minnesota Vikings following J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury.
Darnold couldn’t ask for a better opportunity—the Vikings have a solid roster and a coaching staff that believes in him. But at 27 years old, this is likely his last shot to prove he can be a viable NFL starter. Darnold has shown flashes of potential throughout his career, but consistency—and protecting the football has always been an issue.
This season, Darnold needs to put it all together. If he can’t take advantage of this opportunity, he might not get another one.
Daniel Jones, Quarterback, New York Giants
Daniel Jones has been on thin ice in New York for a while now because of the way that he’s performed since they gave him that big contract.
And after this season, the cap ramifications become significantly less severe if they choose to part ways with him… This means that 2024, coming off a torn ACL, is almost definitely his last chance to solidify his spot as the Giants’ franchise quarterback.
The Giants were reportedly very seriously shopping around for quarterbacks in the draft, which shows just how uncertain they are about Jones’ future.
And you know what? It may go deeper than that for the former first-round pick…
If he really struggles again—he may not get another chance to start in the NFL… Period!
Granted, he is still just 27… And does have the physical tools needed to play in the NFL. But so much of the game is played between the ears, and that is where he has really struggled.
This is a make-or-break season for Jones—either he proves he’s the guy in New York, or he’ll be looking for a new home in 2025… one that may or may not even exist!
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