The NFL is full of ebbs and flows. For one reason or another, players take huge leaps and regress poorly in nearly equal amounts.
Age, injuries, scheme and fit all contribute to how a player develops, meaning that a number of factors have to go right in order for a player to perform at their peak. Some, unfortunately, aren’t that lucky.
These are 10 NFL players who took a step back and regressed this season.
10. DE Chase Young – Washington Commanders
Chase Young, since being drafted second overall in 2020, hasn’t been the player Washington was hoping he’d become. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors his rookie year, Young suffered an ACL tear year two that derailed his career. After Washington declined Young’s fifth-year option, the defensive lineman was forced to look at a make-or-break season. Thus far, Young has looked more bust than boom as his name is one that comes up commonly in trade rumors.
9. RB Travis Etienne Jr. – Jacksonville Jaguars
With the emergence of rookie running back Tank Bigsby out of the Southeastern Conference’s Auburn University, Etienne has been relegated to a workhorse back. His goal line touches have all but disappeared in 2023, leaving fans to wonder if he’s out the door or just one half of a tandem in Jacksonville. Time will tell.
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8. RB Jamaal Williams – New Orleans Saints
When Williams signed a multi-year deal to land in New Orleans, he knew his production wouldn’t match that of his last season in Detroit — that is, not as long as Alvin Kamara’s around. On the other side of Etienne’s sword, Williams, as a third down back, lacks the production he would have in an offense better tailored to his skill set. With a bounty of riches in the New Orleans offense, Williams is relegated to low man on the totem pole.
7. QB Deshaun Watson – Cleveland Browns
The $230 million man is looking like half the quarterback he used to be in Houston. Now a year removed from the drama of his court hearings, suspension hearings and the actual suspension, the Browns need their $230 million quarterback to play like a $230 million quarterback. There are no excuses moving forward. Unfortunately for Watson, this season’s been ugly with the cherry on top being the disastrous first quarter pick six he threw against the Steelers week three that led to a Browns defeat.
6. SS Jamal Adams – Seattle Seahawks
Revisiting the Jamal Adams trade, the Seahawks came away absolute losers with a sore deal. The Jets received a 2021 first-round draft pick (Starting offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker), a 2021 third-rounder (used to trade up), a 2022 first-rounder (2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson) and safety Bradley McDougald, while the Seahawks received Adams and a 2022 fourth-round selection (Former Cincinnati Bearcat CB Coby Bryant). What a disaster for Seattle, who have yet to see Adams play in 2023. Reports are that he’s close, but reports have been that he’s close since June. What’s the truth, Seattle?
5. DE Marcus Davenport – Minnesota Vikings
Speaking of players who will seemingly never return from injury, former New Orleans Saints first round pick Marcus Davenport fleeced the Minnesota Viking for a one year, $13 million contract in which it looks like he may have no intention to actually play. Davenport can be found laughing it up in the locker room and on the sidelines, but the injury prone defensive end has proved you can in fact get worse than a season in which he put up one half sack.
4. QB Justin Fields – Chicago Bears
Justin Fields… What happened? It shouldn’t have happened this early, but the Chicago Bears have to think about a quarterback change, whether it’s this year or in 2024. A 41-10 loss to start a season 0-3 and extend a losing streak to 13 games means serious, high-level conversations should be had about the future of a franchise. After the team went out to cherry pick Fields a top tier receiver in D.J. Moore from the Carolina Panthers, his game plan for the passing game has only seemingly regressed thus far. I hope I’m wrong about Justin Fields. I want to see him succeed, but this season, especially in Chicago, isn’t looking optimistic.
3. RT Evan Neal – New York Giants
To put this as lightly and respectfully as possible, Evan Neal couldn’t take down a tree one on one if he had a chainsaw in one hand and a wood chipper in the other. Neal has been absolutely abysmal in man to man coverage this season, leading to his quarterback Daniel Jones facing more pressure than the Duke product can handle. If Neal can’t pull it together, his time not only in New York, but in the league may be done.
2. RT Ryan Ramczyk – New Orleans Saints
After securing a five year, $96 million contract extension from the Saints, Ramczyk looks worse than ever before. This could be due to offensive line coach Zach Strief leaving New Orleans to beef up his former head coach Sean Payton’s line in Denver, but whatever it is needs to be figured out soon. Ramczyk got bullied in the Saints’ week three match against the Green Bay Packers, leading to a Derek Carr injury that could derail the Saints’ season.
1. RB Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans
Running backs are like stars in the night sky. Watching them die off into a supernova is sad and beautiful all at once. Henry is quickly approaching 10,000 career carries, a mark he’ll achieve later this year, and at 29 years old, the big bodied star seems to be slowing down. Henry’s averaging 3.2 yards per carry with only one score this year. Against the Browns, Henry carried the ball 11 times for only 20 yards in a game that had fans questioning — is Derrick Henry done?
