The NFL can be a cruel, hard business. Once you turn professional, you seemingly have the entire world ahead of you.
But life comes at you fast in this league. It just takes one, two, three or sometimes even four years for a team to decide they’re giving up on you. It’s a results-driven business, and if you don’t produce, your days as a starter are over.
With that said, here are 10 NFL players who have one last chance to prove themselves in 2023.
Mac Jones
It feels crazy putting Jones on this list already. It was only two years ago where the New England Patriots drafted him 15th overall. And we’re talking about a kid who earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season after leading the Patriots to the postseason with a 10-and-7 record.
We refuse to blame Jones too much for enduring the sophomore slump in 2022. Bill Belichick deserves most of the blame for making failed head coaches and longtime assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge the co-offensive play-callers.
But Jones is out of excuses now. Belichick brought back old friend Bill O’Brien to serve as the OC in 2023. Belichick also signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki, and drafted hidden gem in LSU receiver Kayson Boutte in the sixth round.
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You’ve probably heard the reports that Belichick was also unhappy with Jones’ sideline tantrums throughout the year. In fact, it was reported that Belichick even shopped Jones ahead of the draft.
And finally, we can’t forget that backup Bailey Zappe looked impressive in the brief action he saw last year, even winning both his starts.
Nobody holds shorter leashes in football than Belichick. With a new OC and better supporting cast, Jones has all the tools to succeed. If he can’t do it, Belichick won’t hesitate to bench him in favor of Zappe. And he certainly won’t hesitate to move on from the Alabama product.
Ryan Tannehill
The Tennessee Titans had the perfect opportunity to commence a rebuild by moving on from Tannehill and Derrick Henry. But first-year GM Ran Carthon and head coach Mike Vrabel are going for it one last time with this core.
Well, kinda.
The Titans got lucky when Kentucky Wildcats’ QB Will Levis shockingly went undrafted in round one. With the No. 33 selection, Tennessee selected the strong-armed QB, giving them a legitimate backup option to Tannehill.
The 2019 comeback player of the year had woeful one-and-done playoff outings in 2020 and 2021. Even before his season-ending injury last year, Tannehill’s play had left a lot to be desired.
He’s 35, inconsistent, injury-prone and entering his contract year. In other words, it’s Tannehill’s final chance to show the Titans he has plenty left. Otherwise, Levis time will be here earlier than expected.
Chase Claypool
Claypool showed promise in his rookie 2020 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 62 receptions for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. A breakout year was expected in 2021, but Claypool dropped to 59 catches for 860 yards and only two touchdowns.
The Canadian kid got off to a horrendous start for the Steelers in 2022. It was bad enough to the point where the Steelers decided to give up by sending Claypool to the Chicago Bears ahead of the trade deadline for a 2023 second-round pick.
The change of scenery did nothing to help Claypool, who hauled in only 14 receptions for 140 yards and zero touchdowns in seven games. In fact, Claypool only played 48 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps in those seven contests.
This is the final year of Claypool’s contract. And quite frankly, it’s his last chance to prove himself as a capable WR1 or even WR2. DJ Moore will likely be Justin Fields’ go-to target in 2023, but if Claypool can get back to that 800-yard form, he should secure himself a nice contract in 2024 free agency.
It’s now-or-never for Claypool. Two stellar seasons followed by a disastrous one. The real Chase Claypool shall stand up in 2023.
Kenneth Murray
The Los Angeles Chargers declined the fifth-year option on Murray’s rookie contract. In other words, it’s a make-or-break year for the No. 23 selection of the 2020 draft.
Murray was supposed to be a weapon in a Chargers’ front seven led by Joey Bosa. But through three seasons, we’re talking about a guy with only two sacks, one interception, six pass defenses and one forced fumble.
Per Pro Football Reference, Murray played 93 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2020. That number dropped down to 47 in the games he was available for in 2021, and only increased to 69 percent in 2022.
As well, his highest grade at Pro Football Focus to date is 54.4, which he garnered in 2020. His grade has been below 50 in each of the last two years — meaning he’s doing more harm than good on the field.
The Bolts are trying to close the gap with other heavyweights like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC. They aren’t going to be patient with Murray much longer.
Does he want to a) be a long-term starter in the NFL and b) stay with the Chargers? If yes to either, he better put it all together now after three disappointing seasons to begin his career.
K’Lavon Chaisson
The Jacksonville Jaguars had two first-round picks in 2020. The first selection, CJ Henderson, is no longer with the organization. The second, LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, has one more year to exclude himself from the long list of all-time Jaguars’ draft busts.
Chaisson has appeared in 40 games through his first three NFL seasons — and he only started in 11 of them. He has three sacks, 60 combined tackles and zero forced fumbles. How little did the Jaguars trust him in 2022? How about the fact he only played 18 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in games he was available for?
For Jacksonville, it was an easy decision to decline the fifth-year option on Chaisson’s rookie deal. It will be an even easier decision to let him walk to free agency next year if he doesn’t show the slightest bit of improvement in 2023.
The Jaguars already have three cornerstones on the front seven in Josh Allen, 2022 first overall pick Travon Walker and veteran Foyesade Oluokun. They can easily get by without Chaisson here.
One more chance for Chaisson. Up to him to make the most of it.
Mekhi Becton
The New York Jets used the No. 11 selection in the 2020 draft on Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, hoping his pass-blocking skills would help Sam Darnold put it together in year three.
The 6-foot-7 monster had a solid rookie year on a lowly Jets team, garnering a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.4 on the year. Unfortunately, he missed all but one game in his sophomore year due to a knee injury.
And then ahead of the 2022 campaign, Becton suffered a fractured kneecap that abruptly ended his season. Having barely seen the field over the last two years, it was an easy call for the Jets to decline the fifth-year option on Becton’s rookie contract.
Becton has been open about his frustration with the Jets’, citing the club’s decision to place him at right tackle as a reason why he suffered his season-ending injury.
This isn’t about deciding who’s to blame and who’s not to blame. Becton hasn’t been healthy in three years now, and no matter how much talent he possesses, New York simply can’t wait on him forever.
If Becton stays healthy and produces well, the Jets will be happy to retain him beyond 2023. But another injury-riddled or inconsistent season will lead to his departure from Gotham.
Javon Kinlaw
The San Francisco 49ers traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts ahead of the 2020 draft. They tried to essentially replace him with a younger and cheaper option in Javon Kinlaw, the No. 14 selection of that year’s draft.
No, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have been able to pay Buckner on top of Arik Armstead, Fred Warner AND Nick Bosa on that defense. Getting a first-round pick for Buckner made sense at the time, but surely, the 49ers’ wish they used that No. 14 pick elsewhere…
Kinlaw’s career has been completely underwhelming up to this point. He had 1.5 sacks as a rookie, and then injuries limited him to a total of 10 games over his next two seasons. He didn’t have a single sack in those 10 contests and mustered just 12 tackles.
So when you do the math, you see where we’re going with this: Kinlaw has been a big-time bust up to this point, and he’s got 17 games left — or possibly less — to show the 49ers he can be something special on this defense.
No pressure at all, kid.
Patrick Queen
Queen just felt like the perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens when they selected the LSU linebacker 28th overall in 2020. No team drafts better than the Ravens, and his skill set just made Queen the ideal pick for the reigning AFC North champions.
But here we are through three years, and Queen has been nothing more than a merely average to replaceable-level start in B-more. He has started all 50 of the team’s regular season games since his rookie year, but you wouldn’t have guessed so by looking at his stat line.
Queen has 10 sacks, nine pass defenses, three interceptions and four forced fumbles. You’d certainly expect better from a highly-touted linebacker on a strong Baltimore defensive unit, now wouldn’t you?
Queen has been horrendous in coverage. Per Pro Football Reference, he has yielded a completion percentage of over 75 percent when targeted each year. Not only that, but opposing QBs had a passer rating of 104.4 and 115.6 when they targeted Queen in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Queen’s fifth-year option was declined this offseason. The Ravens handed linebacker Roquan Smith a $100 million selection and selected Clemson standout Trenton Simpson in the third round of this year’s draft.
So the Ravens are clearly ready to move forward without Queen in 2024. The only way he can change their minds is if he finally puts it all together in 2023. Last chance, Mr. Queen.
Michael Gallup
Dallas Cowboys fans probably don’t want to be told that Gallup hasn’t hit 1,000 yards receiving in a season since 2019. It’s been a while, yes.
Gallup had to share targets with CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper in 2020, but he still had 59 receptions for 843 yards and five touchdowns. Injuries limited Gallup to nine games in 2021, but he averaged just a hair under 50 yards per game.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Cowboys handed Gallup a five-year contract extension worth $57.5 million and traded Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in a cap-saving move.
Even though Gallup saw 14 games in 2022 — five more contests than 2021, by the way! — he finished with only four more catches and 21 less receiving yards. In 14 games, Gallup averaged a mere 30.3 yards per game.
The Cowboys acquired Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Houston Texans to give Dak Prescott that much-needed WR2, meaning Gallup is now on borrowed time. It’s been four years since his career year now, and the last two seasons have been underwhelming at best.
With the Cowboys also in win-now mode, they can’t wait on Gallup forever. 2023 is the final chance for Gallup to prove himself as a trusted long-term piece in the Dallas offense.
Caleb Farley
The Titans used the No. 22 selection of the 2021 NFL Draft on the Virginia Tech corner. Farley was widely projected to be a top 10 to 15 selection until worries over a back injury began to pile up.
But to date, Farley has only seen 12 NFL games due to a series of injuries — including a torn ACL he suffered early in his rookie year.
Farley was a backup and rotational piece for the Titans during his rookie and sophomore years. Clearly, Vrabel and company don’t have the utmost confidence in him.
The Titans used a 2022 second-round pick on Roger McCreary and drafted ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneer Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency this year. Clearly, they’re prepared to move on from Farley if necessary.
Not only does he have to avoid the injury bug, but Farley also must provide competent-level play for a Titans team that should make sweeping changes if things go south again in 2023. Up to Farley to see if he’ll be part of those changes or not.
