One Player Every NFL Team Needs To Stop Making Excuses For In 2026
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
We’re about a few months away from the 2026 regular season kicking off, and we’re getting more excited about watching our favorite NFL players suit up for another incredible year.
There will be numerous talented players making names for themselves, while the superstars will continue to dominate on the field.
However, each team will have one guy who must prove himself worthy of earning another contract, or risk signing with another team in the 2027 offseason.
These guys have an uphill battle, but some will reach the mountaintop and find success.
Here at TPS, we’re going to dive into one guy on each NFL team who has to prove it in the 2026 season.
Which players from each NFL team need to step it up in 2026?
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr. was drafted by the Cardinals in 2024, with the hopes that he would become their next big deep threat for the team.
Unfortunately, he’s been a bit of a disappointment as he’s dealt with inconsistencies in his second season, nagging injuries, and dropped passes.
Harrison Jr. must rebound under new head coach, Mike Lefleur, and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, or be labeled as a draft reach moving forward.
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr.
Penix Jr. enters a very crucial year three, as he must rebound from a disastrous 2025 season, during which he dealt with an ACL injury and accuracy issues in 2025.
The Falcons have a new coaching regime and brought in Tua Tagovailoa to compete with Penix Jr. for the starting job. Penix Jr. must improve his performance under Kevin Stefanski just to earn the starting job for the 2026 NFL season.
Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman
Bateman had a very down year in 2025, catching 19 passes for 224 yards and scoring two touchdowns, as he struggled to separate and earn targets on the outside, even with defenses focusing their attention on Zay Flowers.
Bateman must rebound in the 2026 season under the new coaching regime, especially since he signed a three-year, $36.75 million extension in 2025, and with the Ravens drafting Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, respectively.
Buffalo Bills: Keon Coleman
Coleman had a rough year two, catching 38 receptions for 404 yards and scoring four touchdowns in the 2025 season, which is never good for someone trying to make a name for themselves in the league.
The Bills recently traded for D.J. Moore, which adds pressure to Coleman, who is entering his third year in the league, as he must step it up on the field, become a reliable target for Josh Allen to throw to, and earn the trust of the team’s coaching staff.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young
Young had a good 2025 season, as he led the Panthers to an 8-9 record, first place in the NFC South, and into the playoffs before they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wildcard Round.
The Panthers picked up Young’s fifth-year option, and he must continue to prove himself during the 2026 NFL season and expand upon his performance under head coach Dan Canales.
If Young can do that and improve his pre-snap reads, he’ll be rewarded with a nice contract extension and help the Panthers repeat as NFC South champions, potentially.
Chicago Bears: Jaylon Johnson
Johnson had a rough 2025 season, as he dealt with injuries and missed significant time, and played in only seven regular-season games.
Johnson enters a prove-it year, as he has to stay healthy for the 2026 season, as he has the potential to be the team’s leader in the secondary and make it a formidable unit.
If he can prove it, the Bears will likely award Johnson with a nice contract extension for 2027.
Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy
Murphy enters a critical year, as the Bengals declined the fifth-year option on his contract, making him a free agent in 2027.
Murphy did break out with 5.5 sacks in 2025, but the Bengals want a larger sample size and to see if he can cause more havoc this coming season.
Cleveland Browns: Cedric Tillman
Tillman is in a contract year for the Browns and has some serious competition at receiver, while he proves he can be competitive during key games.
Tillman hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season just yet, and he could be traded or released before the regular season, as his salary isn’t guaranteed.
Dallas Cowboys: George Pickens
Because the Cowboys are unwilling to commit to Pickens long-term, he must prove he’s the real deal for this NFL team in 2026.
The Cowboys need a full season of professionalism, composed behavior, and being prepared before they can pay Pickens long-term. Pickens must also show he’s a reliable cornerstone for the team’s offense in 2026.
Denver Broncos: Evan Engram
Engram has a lot to prove for the Broncos in 2026, as his 2025 season did not meet the team’s expectations, as he caught 50 receptions for 461 yards and scored one touchdown.
Engram had a few drops, which were costly for the team in key games, and was underutilized for most of the season. That must change in the 2026 season if he wants to return to the Pro Bowl-caliber tight end he once was.
Detroit Lions: Alim McNeill
McNeill has a lot to prove in 2026 for the Lions, as he’s returning to action from a torn ACL injury he suffered back in the 2024 NFL season, which saw his run defense take a downturn during the 2025 season.
The Lions heavily invested in their defensive line for the 2026 season, as McNeill must compete and prove he can still be the anchor of the team’s interior defensive line.
Green Bay Packers: Christian Watson
Watson enters a make-or-break year with the Packers, as he must prove to the organization that he can overcome durability issues and be the team’s number one wideout moving forward.
Watson hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season yet, and if he can produce a strong season while staying healthy, he may be rewarded with a contract extension from the team.
Houston Texans: C. J. Stroud
Ever since Stroud’s rookie season, he’s been pretty inconsistent, and his stats have slowly declined. In fact, Stroud struggled in the 2025-26 playoffs, throwing two touchdowns against five interceptions.
The Texans have a roster ready to contend. Stroud must rebound from two mediocre seasons by managing games more effectively, as the team is being very cautious about signing him to an extension.
Stroud must also improve his decision-making and mental process during games if he wants to be successful in the 2026 NFL season.
Indianapolis Colts: Alec Pierce
Pierce signed a massive four-year, $114 million contract extension with the Colts and must establish himself as the team’s true serious threat receiver in the 2026 season.
Fans and coaches want to see Pierce become a wide receiver who can become a reliable target who can move the chains on short routes and turn into a scoring machine.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter
Hunter has a lot to prove in year two of his career, as he’s expected to be healthy for the start of the 2026 season and should continue to play both offensively and defensively.
Hunter showed great defensive promise and is expected to see a slight increase in production in the secondary, which is something the Jaguars need moving forward.
On offense, Hunter can thrive on specific plays designed for him in space during the upcoming season, while improving his efficiency.
Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy
Worthy faces pressure in the 2026 season, as he had a down year in 2025, and proves to the league that he isn’t a one-trick pony.
Worthy must improve his physical strength, refine his route-running, and develop better field awareness when tracking deep balls in bounds, as he’s expected to be healthy for the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty had a good 2025 statistical season, rushing for 975 yards on 266 carries, scoring five rushing touchdowns, catching 55 receptions for 346 yards, and scoring five receiving touchdowns.
However, Jeanty struggled with his ground game and must rebound in 2026 by improving his reading of opposing defenses and speeding up his play under the Raiders’ new head coach, Klint Kubiak.
Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston
Johnston must prove it to the Chargers, as he’s dealt with inconsistencies throughout his playing career, even though his statistical numbers have improved over the years.
The wide receiver depth room continues to deepen, as Johnston’s competition gets more intense from guys like Ladd McConkey and Tre Harris in the lineup.
Johnston does have faith from the front office and his coaches in his development, as he still has to do whatever he can to become a starter.
Los Angeles Rams: Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
Forbes Jr.’s career is an interesting one: he wasn’t able to put things together with the Commanders, but he showed promise with the Rams during the 2025 season. However, Forbes Jr. has a history of missing tackles when it matters the most.
The Rams declined to pick up Forbes Jr.’s fifth-year option for the 2026 season, making him a free agent in 2027. On top of that, Forbes Jr. has intense competition from Trent McDuffie and Jaylon Watson, who will likely be starters for this NFL squad, while he’ll be subjected to watching from the bench during the 2026 season.
Miami Dolphins: Malik Willis
After releasing Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins signed Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the team, even though he has a limited track record from his time as a backup quarterback with the Packers.
Willis is expected to become a starter right away with a team that is currently committed to another rebuild after the Tagovailoa experiment failed. If Willis struggles, the Dolphins could use their early first-round pick on a new signal-caller in the 2027 Draft.
Minnesota Vikings: J. J. McCarthy
McCarthy had a brutal 2025 season, throwing 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and struggling with injuries and inconsistent play throughout the year.
With the Vikings signing Kyler Murray to the roster, McCarthy must prove himself and improve his processing speed, passing ability, and accuracy quickly, or be benched in favor of Murray.
New England Patriots: Kayshon Boutte
Boutte is in a make-or-break year with the Pats, as he’s on the final year of his rookie contract, and faces a crowded receiving room with competition from guys like Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Mack Hollins.
The Patriots are also rumored to be in the market to trade for A. J. Brown, which will potentially make the competition more intense for Boutte, as he must maximize his efficiency to earn an extension or a new contract from another team.
New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough
The Saints may have found their next franchise quarterback in Tyler Shough, who showed promise in 2025 with 221 completions for 2,384 yards and threw 10 touchdowns against six interceptions.
Shough must transition the success he made from his rookie year into his sophomore season, as the team provided him with new offensive weapons, like Jordyn Tyson, to work with in the 2026 NFL season.
New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux is entering a make-or-break 2026 season, as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, and must bounce back from a rough, injury-riddled 2025 NFL season.
The Giants have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Tremaine Edmunds in the lineup, and Thibodeaux must give it his all for the 2026 season to earn a contract extension or earn a contract with another team in the 2027 season.
New York Jets: Adonai Mitchell
Mitchell enters the 2026 season with the most to prove, as he must improve on his consistency and faces intense competition from newly drafted wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Mitchell showed flashes of playmaking abilities during the 2025 season and must step it up under new offensive coordinator Frank Reich for the upcoming season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith
Smith enters the final year of his rookie contract with the Eagles and is expected to be healthy for the upcoming season. However, he was recently arrested for both speeding and reckless driving in Twiggs County, Georgia.
Smith must bounce back from a shortened 2025 NFL season, due to a triceps injury, and try to record his first double-digit sack season in 2026.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Rodgers
It’s confirmed, Rodgers will return to the Steelers, but it will be his final NFL season, and he must prove he still has it, even though he’ll be 43 by the end of the 2026 season.
The Steelers’ roster is built in win-now mode, and they recently traded for Michael Pittman Jr., who should do wonders with Rodgers on offense in the upcoming season.
San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall
Pearsall faces a make-or-break 2026 season after facing personal adversity and dealing with injuries in the last two years.
Pearsall must stay healthy for the 2026 season, as he has the potential to record up to 800-plus receiving yards and make the 49ers’ passing attack a more formidable unit, even with the free agent acquisitions of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk to the roster.
Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet
Although Charbonnet is still recovering from an ACL injury he suffered during the team’s playoff run towards Super Bowl LX, he has a lot to prove for the 2026 season when he returns, as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is with the Chiefs, and the team drafted Jadarian Price.
The pressure is building up around Charbonnet, as he’s also in a contract year with the Seahawks, and must improve his ball security for the 2026 season when he eventually returns to action on an NFL field.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka
Egbuka burst onto the NFL scene with a hot start in his 2025 season, but cooled down a bit towards the end of the season. He caught 63 receptions for 933 yards and scored six touchdowns.
With Mike Evans gone, all eyes will be on Egbuka to continue performing and potentially become the team’s next number one receiver on the depth chart.
Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward
Ward had a rough 2025 season, as the Titans really had no offensive tools for him to work with, and the team fired then-head coach Brian Callahan.
With a new coaching regime in Nashville, Ward must improve his field processing, mechanics, and timing under new head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and an upgraded unit, with Wan’Dale Robinson on the roster, who should improve the passing attack.
Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniel
After an impressive rookie season, Daniels had a rough sophomore season, as he dealt with a hamstring strain and a dislocated left elbow.
Many fans drew comparisons to Robert Griffin III, who was also plagued by injuries during his tenure with the team.
Daniels must stay healthy in the 2026 season and remain durable for the long haul, as the Comanders enter win-now mode.
