5 NFL Players Who Won't Use Expanded Roles to Produce Like Stars in 2023

The 2023 NFL offseason brought notable modifications to almost every roster. Now that the dust has settled from the draft, free agency and other personnel changes, it's time to take a look at some of the players who benefitted most from these moves.

There are a handful who stand out due to a significant increase in the impact they are expected to have this coming season. These players clearly benefitted from situations such as trades or roster cuts, gaining a more prominent role with their current club in wake of the change.

Not every player projected to have a sizable uptick in playing time will turn into an elite talent, however. An increased role far from guarantees stardom in this league, as they will still have to produce at a high level to stave off fierce competition for snaps and touches by teammates.

With that in mind, here are five players who won't become stars despite having an expanded role heading into the 2023 season:

Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Morry Gash

Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The Green Bay Packers are entering the 2023 season with a new starting quarterback for just the second time since the 1993 campaign and first since Aaron Rodgers took over the role from Brett Favre in 2008. Expectations will be high for Jordan Love to seamlessly fill the massive shoes of his predecessors, but it's never easy for a young quarterback to take over an offense early in their careers.

While Love has had the advantage of learning and working behind Rodgers for three years, he offers little in the way of meaningful in-game experience. Since he was drafted No. 26 overall in 2020, the Utah State product has drawn just one start and only got on the field for 10 contests in total, with most of those appearances being mop-up duty late in blowouts. The 24-year-old has thrown just 83 passes in the NFL, completing 50 of them for 606 yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions.

It is somewhat concerning that Love's lone career start didn't go well. During his sophomore season in 2021, the signal-caller replaced a banged-up Rodgers for a Week 9 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs. Love failed to spark the offense in that matchup, finishing the day having completed 19 of his 34 passing attempts for 190 yards and one touchdown. That 20-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard late in the fourth quarter was Green Bay's lone score in an uninspiring 13-7 defeat.

It remains to be seen if Love has made major strides since that showing. It's certainly possible given he had another full year to grasp the offense and practice. He looked good against the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12 last year, completing six-of-nine passing attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown. While that was a promising display, it'll be impossible to tell if Love is the right guy for the job in Titletown until the 2023 campaign begins.

Expect the Packers to ease Love into things, leaning on their ground attack and defense to keep them competitive while Love gets comfortable in his elevated role. That strategy may help his long-term outlook, but it certainly won't result in Love becoming a star quarterback in his first year starting.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 08: Alexander Mattison #2 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on January 08, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

With the release of star running back Dalvin Cook, the Minnesota Vikings have opted to forge ahead with Alexander Mattison leading their backfield. Mattison had been Cook's primary backup since he entered the league as a third-round pick in 2019, but the Boise State product has only seen sporadic action due to the starter's heavy volume. He'll now get a chance to be featured in Minnesota's offense, although it could be tough for him to replicate his predecessor's successes.

Mattison may have shined in the limited games Cook missed over the last few years—including going over 90 rushing yards in three of his four 2021 starts—but it will be difficult for him to dominate on a weekly basis. There were indications that the 25-year-old may not be ready for a bigger role as recently as the 2022 season.

Mattison's only truly notable showing last year came in the Week 17 finale, when he took his 10 totes against the Chicago Bears for 54 yards and two scores. He had some duds leading up to that contest, including a Week 5 game against the same Bears defense where he gained a meager 19 yards on nine carries. Most weeks Mattison earned three or fewer touches, making him a bit of a question mark as he enters his fifth NFL season.

It also remains to be seen if Mattison will be utilized at the same rate as Cook, who averaged a whopping 311 touches over his last four Pro Bowl campaigns. Mattison never showed enough to cut into Cook's workload either, making it a realistic possibility that the Vikings decide to go with more of a timeshare with a more even talent pool in their backfield now. Mattison's primary competition will come from Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu and rookie DeWayne McBride all backs who are likely to get a fair shot at impressing the coaching staff in training camp and the preseason.

Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo catches a pass for a successful 2-point conversion during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The 2022 season may have been a trying one for the Tennessee Titans, but at least rookie tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo offered some modicum of hope for the team's future. The breakout first-year talent outperformed the modest expectations set upon a fourth-rounder learning the ropes at one of the toughest positions on the field, finishing the campaign with 449 yards and three touchdowns on 32 receptions.

Okonkwo is now in line to take on an expanded role in 2023. Both Austin Hooper and Geoff Swaim, the two players that started last year ahead of him on the depth chart, both signed elsewhere in free agency. Their departures have opened the door for the 23-year-old to be the main tight end in this offense. While Okonkwo was highly efficient in his limited usage last year—he only logged 378 offensive snaps in total—he'll have to prove he's able to continue producing like that with more volume potentially headed his way.

It's not a good sign that the Titans simply haven't produced many elite tight ends lately. While guys like Hooper, Jonnu Smith and Anthony Firkser have been popular preseason breakout candidates in recent years, none ever lived up to the hype. Delanie Walker was the most recent Tennessee tight end to make a Pro Bowl, earning the last of his three nods back in 2017. The club simply doesn't seem to value the position much in the passing game under head coach Mike Vrabel.

The quarterback situation in Tennessee is also a mess right now, with an over-the-hill Ryan Tannehill battling with polarizing second-round rookie Will Levis for the starting job. With Derrick Henry back for another round, it's almost certain this offense will have a heavy focus on the run while it attempts to sort out the signal-caller situation. While Okonkwo could end up being a safety valve and priority target for whoever ends up starting for the Titans, that still may not amount to much in 2023.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

JACKSONVILLE, FL - MAY 30: Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley (0) during the Jacksonville Jaguars OTA on May 30, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Calvin Ridley has been reinstated by the league office and is ready to assume what should be the most prominent role of his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the Atlanta Falcons dealt the wideout to the Jags during his season-long gambling suspension, Ridley will return to take on No. 1 receiver duties for his new club.

Ridley spent much of his career as a second option in Atlanta's offense. The 2018 first-rounder initially found success in the league by supplementing Julio Jones in a Matt Ryan-led passing attack. While he had some tremendous showings during that span—including a largely dominant 2020 campaign in which he tallied 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns—he was never the feature piece of Atlanta's passing attack. It seemed he would finally get a chance to shine when Jones left to join the Tennessee Titans in 2021, but Ridley only saw action in five underwhelming contests before stepping away to address mental health issues.

Ridley may be getting another chance to be a WR1, but he's been away from football for nearly two full years. He last stepped on the field in October 2021 for a Week 7 game in which he caught just four of his 10 targets for 26 yards and one touchdown. He failed to go over the 80-yard mark in any of his 2021 appearances and was well off his prolific pace from just a season before.

While Ridley is getting to play with one of the league's up-and-coming superstars at the quarterback position in Trevor Lawrence and has a good chance to lead Jacksonville in targets, he'll certainly have competition for Lawrence's attention. The Jags splurged on Christian Kirk last offseason and will surely continue to feed him after he rewarded the club with an 84-catch, 1,108-yard, eight-touchdown campaign. Zay Jones is also coming off a career-best showing as the team's primary slot receiver and soaked a sizable 121 targets last year.

Ridley may end up faring relatively well in this system, but it'll be tough for him to match the type of numbers that he posted during his second-team All-Pro season in 2020. It'll take him a bit of time to knock the rust off too following such a long layoff, so don't expect him to come out of the gates red-hot in 2023.

Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 12: Kadarius Toney #19 of the Kansas City Chiefs scores a five yard touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs did an excellent job rehabilitating the career of Kadarius Toney after the wide receiver nearly derailed it with the New York Giants. He blossomed in Kansas City last year, emerging as a key return man and wideout for the eventual Super Bowl champions. While Toney's role for the Chiefs was initially small, it grew throughout the regular season and playoffs.

Toney drew his first Kansas City starts in the final two weeks of the campaign, recording a respectable 89 yards on six receptions in those contests. The 24-year-old had a strong showing in the Divisional round, catching five of his seven targets for 36 yards and adding another 14 yards on a rush. He went on to score a touchdown on his lone Super Bowl reception and had the longest punt return in the game's history when he took one back 65 yards.

Despite those displays and an increased role in 2023, it's hard to see Toney becoming a true No. 1 receiver for the Chiefs. The team will obviously give him more opportunities as a pass-catcher this season—he's penciled in as one of the starters on the outside alongside Marquez Valdes-Scantling—but that role may not be too prolific. JuJu Smith-Schuster was Kansas City's leading wideout last year, catching 78 balls for 933 yards and three scores out of the slot, but his vacated touches appear headed in Skyy Moore's direction. Valdes-Scantling should see his targets increase as well after he was third on the team with 81 in 2022 and has another offseason to get in sync with Patrick Mahomes.

Barring an injury or unforeseen circumstance, superstar tight end Travis Kelce will remain the focal point of the passing attack. The 33-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down after he tallied up 110 catches on 152 targets for 1,338 yards and 12 scores last year. With Kelce set to continue dominating the looks, Moore getting more involved and MVS still in the picture, Toney won't be anything close to the second coming of Tyreek Hill.