Justin Fields, 10 NFL Players Under Most Pressure to Succeed in 2023
Pressure is a constant in the NFL. It doesn't matter if you're the starting quarterback or the second-team long-snapper. Pressure in training camp. Pressure on the practice field. And most assuredly pressure on Sunday afternoons.
There's pressure to keep your spot on the roster and/or in the starting lineup. Fail to perform during the summer and the fall could be spent watching instead of playing—or perhaps even watching from home. Even if you are out there on the field, failing to perform at a high level could cost a player millions when contract time comes around.
However, while that pressure may be constant, it isn't equal. For some players, that pressure has ratcheted up in a big way in 2023. Some are first-round picks who have failed to meet expectations. Some are quarterbacks trying to keep their job and lead their franchise to success. Some are in a contract year and facing a crossroads in their career.
For those players, this season is all about pressure. It's defined by it.
And how they respond to it could define their careers.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears have bet big on Justin Fields—twice.
They bet big on him when they traded up in the 2021 draft to select the former Ohio State standout 11th overall. And then Chicago doubled down on that bet this year, passing on taking one of this year's top quarterback prospects and trading back from the first overall pick.
On the ground, Fields has been electrifying, topping 1,100 rushing yards last season. But he also threw for just 2,242 yards and has just five wins in 25 starts.
Chicago added a new No. 1 wide receiver this year (D.J. Moore) as part of the trade that landed the Carolina Panthers the first overall pick, and per Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko believes that improved mechanics should lead to a much better season passing the ball for Fields in 2023.
"I think it's just as he progresses in this system and as a quarterback in general, he can improve his accuracy in a lot of different ways just by tightening up his footwork," Janocko said. "That's him, but really that's any quarterback in the league. You see the guys that have that footwork, have that tempo, that rhythm, every year they lead the league in passing and they are the guys with the highest completion percentage."
We just saw Jalen Hurts take a huge leap forward as a passer in 2022. There is immense pressure on Fields to progress similarly this season.
If he doesn't, it won't take long for the questioning of Chicago's decision to double down on their investment in him to begin.
Chase Young, EDGE, Washington Commanders
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Justin Fields isn't the only highly drafted Buckeye feeling the squeeze in 2023.
Only where Chase Young is concerned, the Washington Commanders haven't shown the faith in him the Bears have with Fields. In fact, the Commanders passed on Young's fifth-year option this year, which makes this season the final one of Young's rookie deal.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go for the second overall pick in the 2020 draft. As a rookie, Young tallied 7.5 sacks and brought home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. But Young got off to a slow start in 2021, managing just 1.5 sacks in nine games before tearing his ACL. That injury limited Young to just three games and no sacks last season.
While speaking to reporters. Commanders head coach Ron Rivera tried to put a positive spin on the team's decision to pass on Young's option.
"Well, just for the most part it was the football decision that we made," Rivera said. "And for the most part, it's one of those things that we want to take care of our own. We want to go out and we want 'em to play well. And if that's what happens, then we have a really good problem to have and it's something that we'll have to work through once we know where everything is."
However, given that decision and the fact trade rumors have swirled around Young for weeks, it appears that Washington has all but decided to move on. And that puts Young's career at a crossroads—and ratchets up the pressure to get back to 2020 form.
Jeff Okudah, CB, Atlanta Falcons
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OK. Just one more Ohio State star—promise.
One pick after the Commanders selected Chase Young, the Detroit Lions selected cornerback Jeff Okudah. Okudah's first two seasons were rocky—he was roasted with regularity as a rookie and tore his Achilles in the season opener in 2021. Okudah's third season was better, but he was still benched late in the season.
Then he was traded to Atlanta.
Per Benjamin Raven of MLive, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said the trade was simply a matter of a deal that worked for both sides.
"I just think it was the right time," Holmes said. "I think it was good for Jeff. I had a good talk with him after it was done, and he totally understood it as well. So, it was great. I really respect what Jeff did. We put him in some adverse moments in training camp last year, and like I told you guys, I really respected how he battled and didn't bat an eye and won a starting job. We had the conversation of, 'OK if this didn't happen now, is there a chance that it could happen a little later?' I think it was just good for Jeff."
However, given that the Lions got just a fifth-round pick for Okudah, it certainly looks like Detroit was cutting bait on a disappointment.
Since the Lions also paid part of Okudah's 2023 salary as part of the trade, he's ineligible for a fifth-year option. That makes this a contract year.
And a make-or-break season for Okudah.
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Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance spent part of the offseason working out with Patrick Mahomes and private quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen on his mechanics. As Matt Barrows reported for The Athletic, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan believes those workouts have paid off.
"He was able to get such a better base in these last two months that I think Trey is the best that we've (seen) him right now," Shanahan said. "Yeah, we've got to get into OTAs and practice, but when you watch his feet, his timing, how he's throwing the ball, he's in such a better place now than he was last year at this time."
The question now is whether that will matter even a little.
In the long-ago days of 2021, the 49ers mortgaged their future to move up and draft Lance third overall. With a big arm and all kinds of athleticism, the small-school star from North Dakota State had all kinds of potential.
But due in large part to injuries, two seasons into his NFL career Lance has attempted all of 102 passes, completing less than 55 percent of them. After a broken ankle ended his 2022 season after just two games, Lance watched rookie Brock Purdy go from "Mr. Irrelevant" to leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy is nursing an elbow injury of his own, but, per Barrows, is expected to start if healthy in 2023. San Francisco also brought in an experienced NFL starter in former third-overall pick Sam Darnold.
Given what 49ers general manager John Lynch gave up to draft Lance, the team no doubt would like to see Lance shine over the summer. But that may well be so they can trade him.
And whether it's in the Bay Area or elsewhere, Lance will have to make major strides in the next year or two to avoid being labeled one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
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When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall in 2021, it made history—no tight end had ever been selected that early before. When Pitts hauled in 68 passes for 1,026 yards as a rookie, it appeared that a new star had been born at the position.
However, where Pitts' first season was explosively encouraging, his second was deeply discouraging. Pitts' numbers free-fell in 2022. Last year, he caught just 28 passes for 356 yards. His targets plummeted from 101 to 59, and his catch percentage dropped from 61.8 as a rookie to just 47.5 in 2022.
Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said the drop had less to do with Pitts than injury and a change in offensive philosophy.
"Kyle coming into this league with an enormous amount of hype like a lot of guys that are taken that high," Smith said. "He had a very productive rookie year. We were obviously playing with Matt (Ryan). We threw the ball, give or take, almost 200 times more."
Smith also made it clear that he expects a much better 2023 campaign from Pitts.
"The thing that gives you a lot of encouragement is that he's actually done it," Smith said. "It's not me selling you some hypotheticals. Two years … of trying to blow smoke. So, we are expecting the next step for him as he comes back from his knee. Couldn't be more excited about Kyle and his future."
The talent isn't a question with Pitts, and to a significant extent his success is reliant on Desmond Ridder improving as a quarterback. But if Pitts pulls another vanishing act in 2023, it won't really matter why.
All that will matter is a top-five pick not producing twice in three years.
Jonah Williams, OT, Cincinnati Bengals
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Over four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jonah Williams has started 42 games. He was the starting left tackle for the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
And now he wants out of the Queen City.
Cincinnati's acquisition of four-time Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr in the offseason would appear to portend a move to right tackle for Williams. Williams apparently isn't feeling that idea, requesting a trade instead.
While talking to reporters, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expressed support for Williams—to a point.
"We love Jonah," Burrow said. "Jonah's been a big part of our success for the last couple of years. So, hopefully, we have him back. But business is business. Whatever Jonah thinks is best for his career is what he's going to do. And we'll support him in whatever he decides."
To be clear, there's been no indication that the Bengals are at all motivated to grant Williams' request. He'll most likely play out his rookie deal in Cincinnati as the team's right tackle.
And that sets up a pivotal year for the 11th selection in the 2019 draft.
After missing the entirety of his rookie season with a shoulder injury, Williams has had an up-and-down professional career. Per Pro Football Focus, Williams has topped 1,000 snaps each of the past two years. But he has also allowed a whopping 20 sacks over that span, including an even dozen last year.
That's, um, a lot.
A quality tackle can easily clear $15 million a season in free agency. In fact, there are over 10 tackles in the league who make more than $18 million a season. Seven active tackles received at least $40 million in guarantees at signing.
That's what's called motivation. And pressure.
Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots
7 of 10
To be clear, it's not entirely Mac Jones' fault the New England Patriots were terrible offensively last year. It's not even mostly his fault—the decision to put Joe Judge and Matt Patricia in charge of the offense was a disaster.
But as Patriots beat writer Tom Curran told WEEI (via Pro Football Network), when Jones went outside the organization for advice on how to jump-start the team's floundering offense, it didn't sit well at all with Pats head coach Bill Belichick.
"As we know, a disloyalty in Bill's [Belichick] mind is almost worse than bad play," Curran said. "Mac [Jones], even though you could say it's ironic because he's trying to get better, and he's wondering, 'Are we supposed to be doing it this way?' And he's asking around the football world about it. That effort to improve was showing up the Matt Patricia-Joe Judge contingent that Bill put in charge. When Bill caught wind of it — he's still pissed about it."
While speaking to reporters, Belichick offered a vote of confidence in Jones that was—lukewarm.
"Yeah, I mean, look, Mac's been our quarterback for two years," Belichick said. "As I tell the team every year, each player, each coach, we all have to re-establish and prove ourselves every year. That's what this league is. That's for all of us -- '23 is '23. We'll see how '23 goes."
Jones led the Pats to the postseason two years ago, but backslid in a turnover-plagued 2022. With Bailey Zappe lurking on the depth chart behind Jones and the third-year pro allegedly in Belichick's doghouse, his margin for error in 2023 is non-existent.
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Arizona Cardinals
8 of 10
Like many of the players listed in this column, the Arizona Cardinals declined the fifth-year option on linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
But where some of the players here have disappointed because of injuries or poor performance, Simmons' struggles can (at least in part) be traced to the fact he has seemingly been asked to do something different every season.
Per Darren Urban of the team's website, new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said the edict for Simmons in 2023 is simple—play well.
"I had a really good talk with Isaiah, and obviously have talked with Isaiah a lot," Gannon said. "I am really comfortable where we are at with him, he is really comfortable with it, and the (contract) option, it really doesn't change (things). That's why I say I'm really comfortable where we are at and comfortable where he is at, because it really doesn't change what he is doing. He knows he has to play well, for us and for him."
The problem for Simmons is less how he'll play than where he will play. Over three seasons he has played inside linebacker. And safety. Last year, it was a "Star" role where he lined up largely in the slot. And while the Cardinals haven't explicitly said where Simmons will play in 2023, he was working with the defensive backs in OTAs.
Simmons' versatility was one of the things that got him drafted eighth overall in 2020. But expecting even a player as talented as Simmons to play at a high level in the NFL when his role keeps changing is a tall ask.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
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There isn't a player listed in this piece who has had a better season than Calvin Ridley's 2020 campaign. While playing for the Atlanta Falcons that year, Ridley caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine scores. He appeared destined for stardom.
However, things didn't go according to plan. Ridley played in just five games in 2021 before stepping away from the Falcons for mental health reasons. Then his entire 2022 season was wiped out by a yearlong suspension for gambling on NFL games.
That suspension was the last straw for the Falcons, who traded Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a pair of conditional picks. Now that Ridley has been reinstated his new team has finally got to see him on the practice field, and Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor has been impressed by what he's seen so far.
"I've been really impressed with Calvin. I've watched every snap Calvin's played in the NFL, just like a lot of our guys have. So we're very confident in the player we're getting," Taylor told reporters. "And then to be able to meet him in person, we've had a lot of people that vouched for him, obviously going back to when we acquired him, but the work he's put in this offseason has been impressive just in terms of meeting the extra work he does. And you can tell he is doing it because he comes in the next day, he's got his list of questions, and they're very thought-out. You can tell he's peeked ahead of the install or just looking a couple of days ahead as we go on. So, he's done a great job, just intermixing with the group and making his own role."
If Ridley can recapture his 2020 form, he'll give the Jaguars an excellent one-two punch at wideout with Christian Kirk. But given that Ridley hasn't played in a game since October of 2021, there's no guarantee that will be the case.
One thing is for sure though—his old team will be rooting for him.
The better a 2023 season Ridley has, the better the pick the Falcons will receive in 2024.
Marcus Davenport, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings
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Minnesota Vikings edge-rusher Marcus Davenport is something of an outlier on this list for a couple of reasons. The first is that Davenport is on his second contract. The second is that the contract will pay him $13 million in 2023.
But Davenport is like so many others here in that he's a former first-round pick who hasn't met expectations.
The New Orleans Saints actually used a pair of first-rounders on Davenport, dealing their first pick in both 2018 and 2019 to move up and take the UTSA star 14th overall. There were flashes of the talent that spurred that move over his five seasons in New Orleans, including a nine-sack 2021 campaign. But Davenport followed that up with just half a sack in 2022, and after 21.5 sacks over five years Davenport moved on to Minnesota in the offseason.
At his introductory presser in Minnesota, Davenport was the first to admit that he has disappointed somewhat to this point in his career.
"I'm still upset," Davenport said. "But you know, that's just fuel for the future. I kind of go over my play and see that I didn't capitalize, as much as I would say that I had some success in matchups and was putting the pressures, but I wasn't necessarily being the smartest player to know when to capitalize and how to capitalize, using my teammates, using the scheme and just overall winning."
With Za'Darius Smith now in Cleveland, Davenport will be counted on to start opposite Danielle Hunter in 2023 for a Vikings team that won 13 games and the NFC North in 2022.
Add to that the fact that $13 million pact is for just one year, and this could be Davenport's last chance to show that he's capable of being an impact defender in the NFL.
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