NFL: 8 Players That Need to Stay out of the Headlines in 2012

The National Football League is king when it comes to American sports, generally due to the on-field product given to its fans. However, the individual personalities and storylines that accompany the game also play a large part in keeping its followers engaged.

Whether in an upbeat or off-putting light, polarizing figures always seem to find their way to the front of the line when discussing the NFL. While sometimes amusing, those linked to negative headlines often serve as a distraction to their teams, forcing teammates and coaches to address issues that have nothing to do with football.

Let’s take a look at eight players that need to avoid being attached to negative headlines in 2012 for various reasons.

Vince Young

With the 2011 season in the books and Vince Young still a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, it is time for him to start acting like one.

The Eagles failed miserably last season after assembling what Vince Young overtly labeled as the “Dream Team.” The added pressure that one phrase generated certainly can’t carry all of the blame, but how many other backup quarterbacks do we see in the news or can you even name for that matter?

If Vince Young has aspirations of ever being a starter in the NFL again, he needs to first embrace his current role. Putting in the necessary work and staying out of night club fracases won’t hurt either.

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall made news during this NFL offseason, but for once it didn’t involve a knife or a domestic dispute.

The Miami Dolphins traded the malcontent Marshall to the Chicago Bears, where he will be reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler—his former teammate with the Denver Broncos.

After spending two productive seasons in Miami, Marshall has a chance to resurrect his career with the Bears and possibly shake off some of the bad press he has attracted over the years.

Although the pressure to win in Chicago amplifies the focus on players, it can also result in any positive press being more easily seen or heard, something Marshall can use to launch the next chapter in his football career.

Randy Moss

Last time we saw Randy Moss, he was driving the bus that ran his career off the side of a cliff.  He bounced from team to team during 2010 and eventually retired at the end of the season. 

Fast forward to 2012 where the resurgent San Francisco 49ers are giving Moss another opportunity to prove his worth in the league, albeit as more of a mentor or a specialist on passing downs.

Although Moss’s name is already etched into his bronze bust for the Hall of Fame, he has one last crack at going out on top. But if Moss decides to play his cards similar to 2010, his role with the 49ers will be “Straight Backup Homey.”

Terrell Owens

It is painfully obvious that Terrell Owens wants another chance to play in the NFL, as evidenced by his signing with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. But his track record with teammates and his soft spot towards futile comments in the media could derail his plans before they even begin.

Unlike Randy Moss, Owens has always been deemed a hard worker when it came to his football career, but some view his “spotlight on me” approach as too much of an obstruction to anything that he provides on the field.

For Owens to make his way back onto an NFL roster, he will have to show that he still has the talent and can tone down his antics. If a team does indeed take a chance on him, he will have to do everything in his power to relish the opportunity, even if that means not being himself.

Chad Ochocinco

Chad Ochocinco couldn’t have had a more disastrous year with the New England Patriots than he did in 2011.

Brought in as another reliable pass catcher for quarterback Tom Brady, Ochocinco quickly proved that he was anything but, while continuing his profound dominance in the social media world.

Instead of working to maintain the level of play that he claimed to still have, Ochocinco’s chief concern was none other than himself.

Now that the pressure is off of him to still be an elite receiver (especially following the Patriots' signing of Brandon Lloyd), maybe Ochocinco can rededicate himself to the game that brought him his fame in the first place, and actually end his career on a good note.

Peyton Hillis

After one productive season with the Cleveland Browns, Peyton Hillis caught a little case of the T.Os. After being chosen as Madden cover boy for the 2012 version of the popular video game, Hillis started to unravel.

Contract demands, coupled with missing games due to strep throat, resulted in a nightmarish and very forgettable 2011 season for Hillis and the Browns.

Now that all that is over and he has signed a contract to back up Jamaal Charles in Kansas City, Hillis can place all the blame on the Madden Curse. But if side effects from the T.Os linger into this season, he has no one to blame but himself.

Mark Sanchez

With playing in New York, receiving a contract extension during the offseason and the Jets acquiring Tim Tebow as his new backup, it is safe to say that Mark Sanchez will be making headlines all season long. But if he plans on keeping his job as the starter, he will need to stay out of the limelight due to poor play.

There is a growing number of Tebow supporters that believe he is more suitable to run the Jets’ offense after seeing Sanchez firsthand over the last few seasons, so the leash will be short.

It is already understood that Tebow will receive his own package of plays on game days, so if Sanchez wants to keep the “Tebow” chants to a minimum, he will have to silence his critics with his play.

Peyton Manning

In case you have been under a rock over the past year, Peyton Manning had multiple medical procedures done on his neck causing his consecutive games streak to come to an end. There was also a season-long back and forth between him and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay with the organization making it clear that their target at this year’s NFL draft would be Andrew Luck. Then the Colts thought it to be in their best interest to release Manning, resulting in a free-agent frenzy that saw him land in Denver.

The Broncos are taking a huge risk in giving Manning a five-year, $96 million dollar contract in hopes that he is healthy and can give them a couple more years of production similar to what he has showcased throughout his career. Neither the organization nor Manning can afford for this not to work out.

It is a foregone conclusion that Manning will be front-page news all season long, but if it has anything to do with his injury status, Manning’s career could be in jeopardy once again, resulting in a short stay in Denver.

Contact Jeremy at [e-mail], on Twitter @KCPopFlyBoy and read more at popflyboys.com.