Most Super Bowl-winning teams have that one guy where you’re like “Heh, that guy won a ring? Good for him!”. It was Melvin Gordon for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, Eric Weddle for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and Ndamukong Suh for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
Who will it be this year? We’ll find out over the next two months. In the meantime, let’s dive into 10 big-named NFL players you totally forgot could actually win a Super Bowl 58 championship this year.
Julio Jones
Jones hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since 2019, but his spot in Canton was clinched many years ago. He’ll enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility — and with the notion as the best NFL wide receiver of the 2010s decade.
All that’s missing now for Jones is a Super Bowl championship ring. His Atlanta Falcons blew it big time in Super Bowl 51 against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots — and Jones has only endured one postseason victory ever since.
One-year stints with the Tennessee Titans and Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers amounted to nothing. But Jones is now in prime position to finally get his hands on the Lombardi Trophy this year as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
JJ signed with the Eagles in October and was promoted to their main roster in November. Now he’s got another shot to win it all with the reigning NFC Champions thanks to a prolific offense led by Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and D’Andre Swift.
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Jones has seen limited playing time and probably won’t get much of it in the postseason. But is this the year he finally wins it all? It’ll be hard not to shed a tear for the seven-time Pro Bowler if his Eagles complete the mission in February.
Sam Darnold
From mega draft bust to…Super Bowl champion? Hey, it’s certainly a strong possibility for Sammy D this year.
It’s already easy to forget that Darnold has been Brock Purdy’s backup in San Francisco all season long. The 49ers’ second-year QB has thankfully stayed healthy and is piecing together an MVP-caliber season — hence leaving Darnold on the sidelines except for garbage time occasions.
The USC product was drafted third overall by the New York Jets in 2018 —- but it took Gang Green just three starts to give up on him. In his defense, Darnold wasn’t exactly surrounded with stellar coaching or a quality supporting cast.
Darnold got the chance to revive his career with the Carolina Panthers under Matt Rhule, but that also went nowhere. He ultimately accepted a backup gig for the 49ers, allowing Darnold to learn under the great offensive wiz that is Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers look like the team to beat in the NFL this year. They have a top-five offense and a top-five defense. Purdy has football’s best set of weapons in Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk — and the league’s top offensive lineman in Trent Williams.
If Purdy can finish the job this year, Darnold will be a Super Bowl-winning QB — just not for the Jets. Take that, haters and critics!
Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney has been a fascinating character study through the first decade of his career. The first overall pick of 2014 hasn’t been a draft bust by any means, but he never really lived up to the hype as a generational pass-rushing prospect, either.
Clowney seems to alternate between Pro Bowl-like seasons and “bleh” seasons. He was a monster with the Cleveland Browns in 2021 but virtually invisible last year. Suddenly, he’s elite again in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens here in 2023.
In fact, Clowney is producing his best season statistically and is on pace for his highest grade yet as a pro, according to Pro Football Focus. Now…can the three-time Pro Bowler finally win a Super Bowl ring after striking out with the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Browns?
Clowney has dealt with enough playoff heartbreak — experiencing just two postseason victories in his career. This is easily his best chance yet.
All eyes will be on Lamar Jackson and the offense if Baltimore wins its third Super Bowl this year. But don’t forget that the former first overall pick — who’s had quite the “Jekyll and Hyde career” will have etched his name in Super Bowl championship lore as well!
Chase Claypool
Hey, remember him?! It’s been a minute.
In case you missed it, the Miami Dolphins acquired Claypool in a trade with the Bears in October — less than a year after Chicago gave up a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for his services.
Claypool’s maddening inconsistent play and lack of work ethic quickly became a problem in Chicago — so they practically gave him away to the Dolphins. Claypool, predictably, has seen extremely little playing time in Miami…but do you think he cares as long as he wins a Super Bowl?
Claypool has had a weird career thus far. The Canadian kid exceeded the 50-catch and 800-yard marks as a Steeler in 2020 and 2021 but has suddenly slipped to irrelevance. We’d like to call him an agent of chaos — so how fitting would it be if he captured a Super Bowl ring with Mike McDaniel’s squad?
I mean, Tua Tagovailoa is having a career year. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are football’s best receiving duo — as Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane are the league’s top rushing tandem.
Josh Johnson
You’d think that Johnson would have a Super Bowl ring or two by now given that he’s played for…wait for it…14 NFL teams up to this point. You heard that correctly — it is NOT an exaggeration.
You may recall that the former XFL star and well-traveled Johnson had to replace Brock Purdy in last year’s NFC Championship Game against the Eagles. Unfortunately, Johnson had to leave that game with a concussion — allowing the Eagles to cruise to an easy 31-7 victory.
The Ravens signed, released, signed, released then signed Johnson again over a four-month span. So now he sits as the third QB on the Baltimore depth chart behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.
Despite being a member of 14 teams, Johnson has actually made just nine starts in his NFL career. In a way, he’s an inspirational story in that he keeps finding ways to hang around the league despite such minimal playing time.
And now, after falling just short last season, Johnson has a golden opportunity to win a Super Bowl ring here with a dangerous Baltimore team. Go get it, Josh! We know you can do it!
Latavius Murray
Hard as it might be to believe, Murray is actually third among active players in career rushing yards — behind only Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott. As they say, you really do learn something new every day!
The well-traveled Murray had his best season for the Oakland Raiders back in 2015 — earning Pro Bowl honors after rushing for 1,066 yards. Though he never came close to those totals again, he did surpass 700 yards rushing in three other seasons and put up over 600 yards as Alvin Kamara’s understudy in New Orleans twice.
In short, Murray has been one of the best RB2s in the league over the past five or so years — and he’s still producing nicely as James Cook’s understudy with the Buffalo Bills in his age-33 season.
Murray and the Bills have endured more than enough recent postseason heartbreak. He was on the Minnesota Vikings’ club that lost in the 2017 NFC Championship Game and on the NFC South-winning Saints’ squads that went home early in the 2019 and 2020 postseasons as well.
Is this the year the Bills FINALLY break through the playoff hump in a year where most people have counted them out? We’ll soon find out…
Brandin Cooks
For a guy with six 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, Cooks has sure changed teams a lot! After three years with the New Orleans Saints, he was traded to the New England Patriots in 2017. A year later, he was flipped to the Los Angeles Rams.
Two years later, he was sent to the Houston Texans. Three years later, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys — where he currently resides. Got all of that?! Good.
Cooks has only sniffed the postseason twice in his career, but both ended in utter heartbreak. He was knocked out of the Patriots’ Super Bowl 52 contest against the Eagles — which New England wound up losing 41-33.
A year later, Cooks and his Rams lost to those very Patriots in Super Bowl 53 — and he hasn’t played in a postseason game ever since.
But Cooks has found his niche right here with the Cowboys as the No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb. And now, the veteran stalwart has a chance to redeem himself by finally-oh-finally winning that coveted Super Bowl ring.
If the Cowboys somehow get over their long history of choking and get to the big dance? They say three time’s a charm, so maybe Cooks will be the good luck Dallas needs to win the Super Bowl this year!
Shaquille Leonard
Formerly known as “Darius” Leonard, it’s awfully difficult to comprehend how he went from franchise star in Indianapolis to a sudden afterthought.
The 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year was the heart-and-soul of the Colts for five seasons — helping them to three winning seasons and a pair of playoff berths. But his play inexplicably fell off a cliff under first-year head coach Shane Steichen this year —- even though the Colts are in playoff contention — so Leonard was cut mid-season.
The three-time Pro Bowler weighed over his options before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. So here you have it, folks! Leonard is now part of a prolific Eagles’ front seven led by Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick and rookie sensation Jalen Carter.
Leonard was once a top-10 defensive player in football. It’s easy to forget that now, but maybe he’ll put his name back on the map if he can win a Super Bowl right here in Philadelphia.
The Eagles are LOADED with superstars on both sides of the ball — but let us remind you that the former Colts’ franchise face will ALSO be a Super Bowl champion if Nick Sirianni’s group can complete the ultimate goal in February.
Teddy Bridgewater
In another case of, “Oh yeah, that guy!”
Miss him yet? Teddy Bridgewater has been a serviceable starter but mostly a top-tier backup throughout his NFL career up to this point. Easy to forget now, but the guy has been Jared Goff’s backup in Detroit all season long.
The Lions signed Bridgewater as QB insurance in August — five long months after he hit the open market. The former 2014 first-round pick, of course, has seen itsy bitsy action this year playing behind Goff — who has the Lions in position to win their first division championship in 30 years.
Dan Campbell’s Lions have finally come together and are going to end the franchise’s six-year playoff drought. Now we wait and see if they can win the organization’s first playoff game since…1991.
Not many will give Detroit a chance against San Francisco, Philadelphia or Dallas in the postseason. But a Campbell-coached team with all that offensive firepower is most certainly capable of going on a deep run if the pieces come together.
And if Goff does with Detroit what he couldn’t do in Los Angeles — win the Super Bowl, of course! — it will also secure a ring for Teddy Two Gloves. And given his humble attitude and gentlemanly demeanor, who wouldn’t wanna see Bridgewater win a championship?
Do it for Teddy, Lions!…and for yourselves of course…and the fans too!
Patrick Peterson
With all due respect to Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis, Peterson should probably be regarded as the greatest NFL cornerback of the 2010s because of his longevity.
Anyway, that’s a debate for another day. Whereas both Sherman and Revis went on to accomplish football’s ultimate goal by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Peterson is still waiting to taste the victory champagne for the first time.
Peterson got semi-close in 2015, when his Arizona Cardinals reached the NFC Championship Game before falling to the Panthers. He hasn’t experienced a single playoff victory ever since, however, and time is running out for the 33-year-old.
Fortunately for Peterson, his Steelers have a good shot here of winning one of the AFC’s three wild card spots. And if Pittsburgh can sneak in? Hey, don’t count ‘em out. They have a championship-level defense, a potent rushing duo in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris and three quality pass-catchers in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth.
Peterson may be past his prime, but he’s still a starter in this league. He too has a Hall of Fame spot waiting for him in his first year of eligibility. But first thing’s first: He’s gotta go get that ring while he still has a chance.
Which other notable NFL players could actually win a Super Bowl ring this season?
