Which NFL Players Have the Most to Prove in 2018?

An offseason filled with big moves in free agency and exciting new additions during the draft will put a number of NFL veterans on the hot seat in 2018.  

This season is make-or-break time for many. Either prove valuable, or the NFL will move on. It's the simple but harsh reality of a game built on the kinetic principle of getting better or getting worse. There's no middle ground. The concept applies to aging veterans, young players and rookies alike. 

Let's take a look at the players with the most at stake in 2018.

QB Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

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There's nothing like drafting an exciting young quarterback in the first round to put a veteran on the hot seat. 

Throw in a new supporting cast and the money the Ravens could save by releasing him next year (over $10 million), and Joe Flacco has as much to prove as any player in the NFL in 2018. 

He'll have to fend off 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, integrate a host of new targets at receiver (Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, rookie Jaleel Scott) and tight end (rookies Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews) and convince the Ravens he's worth keeping around past this season. He'll do so while attempting to rebound from a hugely disappointing 2017 season (5.7 yards per attempt, 80.4 passer rating). 

That's a lot to ask from a quarterback with a career passer rating of just 84.1. Flacco's time as the unquestioned starter in Baltimore appears to be reaching its end.

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

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Kirk Cousins used maximum leverage in free agency to earn a fully guaranteed contract worth $28 million per season from the Minnesota Vikings. He struck gold, signing a historic contract and landing on a legitimate Super Bowl contender. 

But with great power comes great responsibility. Cousins now must prove he's both worth the contract and capable of being the final piece of the Vikings' Super Bowl puzzle. 

Washington never won more than nine games in a season with Cousins under center. His pretty passing numbers didn't create a consistent winner.

That won't cut it in Minnesota. Stats won't matter there. It's Super Bowl or bust for the Vikings, who made it to the NFC Championship Game last season with Case Keenum under center and impressive rookie running back Dalvin Cook sidelined by a torn ACL.

WR Dez Bryant

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Dez Bryant needs to find a new team before he can prove anything, but once he signs, he'll likely be one of the most motivated pass-catchers in football. 

Dumped by the Cowboys after eight seasons and setting the franchise record for receiving touchdowns, Bryant is now looking for a one-year, "prove-it" deal, according to Ed Werder. 

The three-time Pro Bowler is betting on himself. A big year in 2018 could confirm he's still a star and re-establish his value as a game-breaking threat. A down year might mean Bryant is looking for one-year deals the rest of his career.

QB Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The Bears spent their entire offseason building around Mitchell Trubisky, the second overall pick in the 2017 draft.

They hired a young head coach with a background in offense (Matt Nagy), signed three new targets in the passing game (Allen Robinson, Trey Burton and Taylor Gabriel) and used two of their first three draft picks on offense (center James Daniels, receiver Anthony Miller). 

Now, it's up to Trubisky to make a big second-year jump and maximize what the Bears have surrounded him with. 

He's in an ideal situation, but there's also a lot of pressure on Trubisky in 2018. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff emerged as stars in their second seasons. Can Trubisky do the same in Chicago?

WR Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Taking a receiver with the fifth overall pick in the draft comes with obvious expectations. That pass-catcher better become a star, and it better happen quick. 

Corey Davis showed flashes last year in Tennessee, but his rookie season was mostly a disappointment. He played in 11 games and finished with 34 catches for 375 yards and zero touchdowns, although he did catch two scores in the Titans' playoff loss to New England. He missed five games due to a nagging hamstring injury, which limited his first-year production.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Titans offense now need Davis to take a big step forward and become the go-to guy in 2018. Staying healthy and developing chemistry with Mariota would be good first steps in the process.

If Davis can make a second-year jump and assume the role as Mariota's No. 1 receiver, the Titans could rapidly improve one of the league's most disappointing passing offenses from last season.

WR Demaryius Thomas

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The variables are stacking up against Demaryius Thomas.

Not only will he turn 31 in December, but he's also coming off his least productive season since 2011 is and facing two factors out of his control: The Broncos drafted receivers Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, and Denver can save $16.2 million by releasing Thomas after the 2018 season. 

Barring a contract renegotiation, it may be tough for Thomas to stick around in Denver past 2018.

He needs a big year, both to increase his bargaining power with the Broncos and improve his value around the league in case 2018 is his farewell season in the Mile High City. Approaching 100 catches with 10 or more touchdowns might be enough for the Broncos to keep him around. 

WR John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The NFL's fastest man was arguably last season's biggest rookie dud.

The ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, John Ross played in just three games and failed to catch a single pass. He also fumbled the ball away to end his one and only touch, a 12-yard rush.

Ross should finally be over a shoulder injury that was surgically repaired before the draft but still plagued him throughout his rookie season. The Bengals badly need him to come back healthy and give the offense a legitimate target for Andy Dalton behind A.J. Green.

Ross has speed and undeniable playmaking ability, but it'll be difficult to wash away the taste of his first year. Another disappointing season in 2018 could put him on the fast track to bust status. 

DL Muhammad Wilkerson, Green Bay Packers

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Muhammad Wilkerson got dumped two years into his monster deal in New York and then had to settle for a one-year contract in Green Bay. There, he'll be reunited with new Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who helped develop Wilkerson early in his career with the Jets. 

The pressure facing him now is twofold: Pettine and the Packers need Wilkerson to be a legitimate pass-rushing force inside, while Wilkerson needs to produce a big season to rehab his value and increase his negotiating power as a free agent in 2019. 

Can Wilkerson reignite the fire and reclaim his spot as one of the NFL's most disruptive interior defenders? He once produced 28.5 sacks and five forced fumbles during a three-year stretch with the Jets from 2013-15. Or will he fade further into obscurity?

The 2018 season will be a crossroads for the one-time Pro Bowler.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Ben Roethlisberger wasn't exactly thrilled that the Steelers used a third-round pick on Mason Rudolph. That's understandable for an aging quarterback in win-now mode, but Roethlisberger must realize the situation he's in. 

He turned 36 years old in March. He's starting to play the Brett Favre game with retirement. The Steelers haven't been to the Super Bowl since the 2010 season. 

The clock is ticking. Roethlisberger isn't on the hot seat, but Rudolph is no slouch. He can move in the pocket, anticipate open receivers and throw with accuracy. His skill set looks starter-worthy. 

Roethlisberger doesn't have to be happy with the Rudolph pick, but he needs to play well in 2018. Any kind of regression could open the door for his young backup. 

Just look at Tony Romo. He likely never thought he'd be losing his job to fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, right? All it took was one preseason injury to change the entire future of the franchise in Dallas.

Change is eventually coming in Pittsburgh, but when?

OLB Marcus Davenport, New Orleans Saints

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

All rookies enter the NFL with something to prove, but Marcus Davenport is under a microscope typically reserved for quarterbacks. 

The Saints made an aggressive move up the board to get Davenport, spending two first-round picks to land the big, athletic edge-rusher at No. 14 overall. New Orleans clearly believes Davenport is capable of becoming the dominant pass-rusher it needs to become Super Bowl-worthy. 

Davenport didn't face off against top competition at UTSA, but he has the combination of length, quickness and power that should translate into future pass-rushing production as a 4-3 defensive end. 

There's still a lot of pressure on the first-year defender to produce right away. He not only needs to prove the Saints were right to give up significant draft capital to get him, but he must also deliver the kind of impact that will push New Orleans closer to the ultimate prize.

Good luck, rookie. 

QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

A team with three straight seasons of double-digit wins traded its starting signal-caller and is now handing the keys of the franchise to a second-year quarterback. 

Patrick Mahomes has plenty to prove in 2018. 

The Chiefs' first-round pick in 2017 showed flashes during a Week 17 win over the stingy Denver Broncos to finish his rookie season, completing 22 passes for 284 yards and leading a game-winning drive. As he takes over for Alex Smith, who tossed 26 touchdown passes and only five interceptions last season, he'll need to turn those flashes into consistency. 

Mahomes is an exciting talent with a big arm, creative playmaking ability and huge upside, but expectations will be high in 2018. Can he live up to the hype? 

RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Saquon Barkley better be a once-in-a-generation talent at running back, because he's entering the NFL with sky-high expectations and the burden of knowing he was the Giants' choice over all of the other potential franchise quarterbacks available with the second overall pick in this year's draft. 

Barkley must now prove he's a game-changing talent who is capable of extending Eli Manning's career and taking some heat off of Odell Beckham Jr. 

It might be impossible for Barkley to live up to the hype. He'll need to have an Ezekiel Elliott-like impact (the Cowboys finished second in rushing yards and won 13 games during his rookie season in 2016) while pushing the Giants toward the playoffs as a rookie. Otherwise, you can bet the New York media will start asking why the team took a running back over a quarterback capable of solidifying the future behind Manning.

All salary cap and contract information provided by Spotrac.