We are a few weeks from NFL training camps kicking off, but several players enter 2024 facing immense pressure to perform at a high level. Despite securing big contracts or earning Pro Bowl honors in the past, a handful of players need to play at an elite level to quiet the noise from a growing crowd of naysayers picking apart their games.
From skeptical scouts and executives wondering where these players fit on the open market to rabid fan bases expecting Hall of Fame-caliber production from designated star players, the football world is paying close attention to how these five standouts perform this season. Here are five players facing the most pressure in 2024:
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
It is time for the three-time Pro Bowler to prove to the “Dawg Pound” that he is a difference-maker for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Since inking a blockbuster deal that revolutionized the quarterback market with $230 million in full guarantees on a five-year contract, Watson has compiled an 8-4 record while missing significant parts of each season due to suspensions or injuries. His dismal performance and production (59.8% completion rate, 14:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio, 81.7 passer rating, and 181.8 pass yards per game) throughout his term has led to concerns about his ability to compete at an elite level. Considering Joe Flacco’s success running the offense after spending most of 2023 on his couch, the pressure is on Watson to regain his Pro Bowl form to validate the hefty deal the Browns handed him a few seasons ago.
Brian Burns, EDGE, New York Giants
Whenever a player signs a top-of-the-market deal that nearly eclipses the No. 1 player at the position, all eyes are on the “new” money maker to see if he can play up to expectations as a franchise player. As a sack artist with 46 career sacks in 80 games, including just one season with 10-plus sacks (12.5 in 2022), Burns will see his game compared to Nick Bosa and others after joining the “$30…
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 17:12:06
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