Most disappointing athletes of 2016

Allen has been an impressive player for the Chargers when healthy, but those times are becoming few and far in between. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season for San Diego.

The Knicks' go-to guy regressed last season, averaging 21.8 points per game. The good news is that the Knicks have finally added some talent around him as they hope to get back to the playoffs.

Bortles threw 35 touchdown passes in 2015, but it looks like the Jags could be on the search for another answer in 2017. The quarterback has been terrible this season, throwing 13 picks in 10 games and throwing for only 6.3 yards per attempt.

Chandler has become more of a part-time player since joining Phoenix in 2015-16. That's not a compliment on one of the worst teams in the league. He averaged only 7.2 points per game last season, and the dire trends continue into this season.

Charles tore his ACL last season and was shut down after only two games this year due to issues in both knees. He had two arthroscopic surgeries, and his 2016 season and NFL future are in doubt.

Surrounded by impressive talent with the Clippers, Crawford has faded into the background. He averaged 14.2 points per game last season, his lowest since 2011-12, and is averaging less than 11 points per game this season as his minutes continue to decline.

Cutler's days with the Bears are numbered. He sat for a significant portion of the year for what was supposedly a minor thumb injury and has played extremely poorly since returning. A shoulder injury could end his season.

As the sports world has learned in recent years, concussions are a scary issue. Earnhardt Jr.'s season was ended due to concussion symptoms, and his future in the sport is in doubt.

There were few bigger disappointments during the 2015-16 season than Ellis, who went from averaging nearly 19 points per game in Dallas to just 13.8 points last season for Indiana. His production has continued to dwindle early this season.

El Shehaby caused worldwide controversy following a judo match in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Egyptian refused to shake the hand of Israeli opponent Or Sasson after losing and retired in August.

Fitzpatrick and the Jets were at odds over his contract all offseason, and he finally signed a one-year deal at the beginning of camp. New York is thankful it stuck to its guns and didn't sign Fitzpatrick long term, as he's been benched before recently named starter again in a tough 2016 for New York.

Forsett went from starting running back to being waived by the Ravens just before Week 1. He did remain with the team but was eventually cut and signed as depth with Detroit.

One of the quickest players in college football, Freeman has fought through injuries this season while the Ducks have struggled on the field. The running back's yards per carry average has plunged, and the Ducks won't make the bowl game this season.

Gasol played only 52 games in the 2015-16 NBA season due to a broken foot. He's grown a reputation as a semi-injury-prone player over his career.

The first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Goff didn't find the field until Week 11 despite being behind Case Keenum. Goff clearly has a long way to go and is already being labeled a bust by some prognosticators.

Houston traded a significant package to the Brewers to acquire Gomez in 2015. He disappointed late in that year, which carried over into 2016. Gomez hit only .210-5-29 in 85 games before getting released and signing on with Texas.

Gordon took a hometown discount to sign with the Royals, agreeing to a four-year, $72 million contract. The first year of the deal didn't go well, as Gordon missed significant time to injury for the second straight year and hit only .220.

Gordon earned a multi-year contract from the Marlins after making his second consecutive All-Star appearance in 2015. He led the NL in hits during the 2015 season but faltered this season and was suspended for 80 games for PEDs.

After a career year in 2014-15 for the Spurs, averaging 11.7 points per game, Green faltered last season. He shot just 38 percent from the field and averaged 7.2 points. While he's shooting better so far this season, his points are down even more.

The Diamondbacks emerged as the surprise winners of the Greinke sweepstakes last offseason, signing the ace to a six-year, $206.5 million contract. His ERA skyrocketed by nearly three runs in Arizona during the first year of the contract.

The hopes were high for Gurley in his sophomore season with the Rams, but he's been a complete bust due in part to L.A.'s awful offensive talent. He's averaged just 3.2 yards per carry through 10 games.

The 2015 NL MVP, Harper played through a shoulder injury for much of the season and struggled at the plate. He hit only .243 during the regular season for the Nats.

Harvey mysteriously struggled early in the season. He was eventually diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome after posting a 4.86 ERA in 17 starts for the Mets.

Hernandez's struggles started in 2015, and the former Mariners ace declined even more last season. He made only 25 starts due to injury and finished with a 3.82 ERA, his worst since 2007.

Heyward signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs last offseason, only to hit .230-7-49 during the regular season. He did have key hits during the Cubs' playoff run to a World Series title.

After an injury-plagued 2014-15 season in Houston, Howard struggled on the court last season. He averaged only 13.7 points, the fewest since his rookie campaign, and there was little resistance when he went to Atlanta following the season. He's brought his rebounding numbers back up but is still averaging less than 15 points per game in Atlanta.

The Vols had hopes of a possible national title run this season. Instead, they're well out of picture, and Hurd is set to transfer after averaging sub-4.0 yards per carry for the Tennessee offense.

One of the highest hopes in U.S. men's tennis, Isner failed to win a title in 2016 for the first time since 2009.

Jeffery has played only nine games due to injuries, and he will miss time this year for a different reason. The Bears wideout is suspended four games for PEDs, and his future in Chicago is in doubt as a pending free agent.

The end could be near for the 35-year-old Johnson. The former star in Atlanta has progressively seen his points average decline, averaging only 11.8 points with Brooklyn and 13.4 points with Miami last season. This season he's coming off the bench more often now with Utah, averaging less than 10 points.

Johnson had high hopes for 2016 after a very good 2015 season, including winning the British Open. He fell off this season and is now ranked 35th in the world.

Jones was set to fight Daniel Cormier in July but was removed from the fight due to anti-doping policy violations. He was suspended in November and stripped of his title.

There were high hopes for Kessel after being traded to the Penguins, but he took another step back. The winger had 59 points in 82 games, making his 80-point season from 2013-14 a distant memory. So far this year, he does have 18 points in 19 games, but he's also skating as a minus player.

Keuchel won the AL Cy Young Award in 2015 but wasn't able to match his great performance this past season. He finished the year with a shoulder injury and had a 4.55 ERA in 26 starts.

Lacy lost weight in the offseason with the help of the famed P90X fitness program. While he showed up to camp more svelte, it didn't take long for Lacy to get hurt during the regular season. The Packers could finally give up on him during the offseason, left without much of a running game.

One of Michael Phelps' biggest rivals, Le Clos was the victim of the #PhelpsFace during the 2016 Rio Olympics. The South African swimmer did win two silver medals during the Olympics but fell behind Phelps.

Lochte won gold in the 4x200 meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but it was his behavior outside the water that will be remembered. The swimmer claimed that he and two other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint, when it turned out that the group allegedly vandalized a gas station bathroom and was stopped by security. It's been quite a headache for the group and Lochte's image.

After rushing for more than 1,400 yards last season, Martin's past injury issues have returned. He has missed most of the 2016 season with a nagging hamstring issue.

One of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy after a record-breaking season in 2015, McCaffrey has fought through injuries and hasn't been as effective this season with Stanford's passing game in decline.

One of the most consistent hitters in baseball up to 2016, McCutchen hit a career-worst .256 for the Pirates as they missed the playoffs.

In a trade that was universally panned at the time, Arizona sent top prospects Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair, along with center fielder Ender Inciarte, to the Braves for Miller. After posting a 3.02 ERA in 2015, Miller struggled last season with an ERA above 6.00 for Arizona.

Newton's Panthers disappointed in Super Bowl 50, and the quarterback drew criticism for his reaction during a press conference following the game. His 2016 season hasn't gone nearly as well as 2015, with a 4-5 start in the nine games he's played and a concussion that kept him out of one game, another loss.

Noah faltered further in 2015-16, playing only 29 games due to injuries and averaging just 4.3 points per game. His play hasn't picked up as a part-time player for the Knicks this season.

Osweiler signed a $72 million contract with Houston in the offseason, spurning the Broncos. It looks like Denver is getting the last laugh, as Osweiler has a terrible 74.9 passer rating through 10 games.

Palmer's performance started to suffer late in 2015, and the decline has carried over into this season. The Cardinals stand the risk of missing the playoffs as Palmer has only 13 touchdowns through nine games and an 83.6 passer rating.

Peterson was counted on to lead the Vikings this season following Teddy Bridgewater's knee injury, but AP suffered a knee injury of his own. He played just two games before the injury.

The catalyst of Arizona's lineup in 2015, Pollock fractured his elbow just before opening day. He did return late in September, but his loss was the first bit of bad news in a nightmarish season for the Diamondbacks.

Coming off a disappointing 2015, the Dodgers hoped new manager Dave Roberts would help fix Puig. That wasn't the case, as the former star struggled and was demoted to Triple-A in August. He did perform better late in the season but hit only .263-11-45 for the year.

Offseason wrist surgery and age have really hindered Revis this season. The former elite cornerback has been burned routinely, and it is starting to look like the end could be close at age 31.

Rodgers and the Packers have faltered in 2016 and stand the risk of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Coming off a subpar season with the absence of Jordy Nelson, Rodgers hasn't rebounded this year.

The Cowboys couldn't wait to have Romo back healthy after an injury-plagued 2015 season. He suffered a major back injury in the preseason, giving way for Dak Prescott to take over. The rookie hasn't turned back, making Romo a backup in Dallas.

The hopes were set very high for sophomore quarterback Rosen and UCLA. He didn't build much on last season before getting injured, and the team's loss of talent has the Bruins out of bowl contention.

The expected ace of the Padres, Ross made only one appearance in 2016 before suffering arm problems. Despite several attempts, he was never able to make it back to a major league game.

After losing in shocking fashion to Holly Holm last November, Rousey has been off the radar in 2016. She's scheduled to face Amanda Nunez in UFC 207 to close out the year.

Sandoval showed up to spring training overweight again before losing the starting third base job to Travis Shaw. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury very early in the season.

Hoping to rebound in the second year of his lucrative contract, Shields lost more velocity and was criticized by Padres ownership before getting traded to the White Sox. His career could be on the skids after posting a 6.77 ERA in 22 starts with Chicago.

Silfverberg was expected to take a giant step forward for the Ducks after a strong 2014-15 season, but he only equaled his production with 39 points. He is off to a better start this season, however.

Simmons showed his ability at LSU en route to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. However, he failed to lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament and injured his foot before his rookie season started.

After a humiliating loss in the Rio Olympics to Sweden, U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo showed especially poor sportsmanship. She was suspended for six months after calling the Swedish team "cowards."

Stanton is garnering the injury-prone label, playing only 119 games in 2016 after suiting up just 74 games in 2015. He's averaged only 96 games played only two years into his ridiculous 13-year, $325 million contract with the Marlins.

Strasburg was the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award for much of 2016 until injuries struck. He did agree to a seven-year extension with Washington but finished the season with an elbow injury.

After allowing only 2.21 goals against in 2014-15, Talbot got a great opportunity to play for the Oilers last season. He ended up leading the league with 27 losses with a goals against that ballooned to 2.55. He's been better this season, but only marginally.

Michigan State's three top scorers were set to go out in style as one of the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the Spartans suffered one of the biggest upsets in tournament history to Middle Tennessee 90-81.

The boisterous Ventura became more of a household name late in 2015, but he showed decline last season. He struggled to keep his emotions in check and finished the season with a 4.45 ERA in 32 starts.

A budding star with the Flyers after an 81-point season in 2014-15, Voracek regressed last season. The former seventh overall draft choice had only 55 points and a -5 plus-minus. He's picked up his points production this season but is an even worse -8 so far.

Walsh missed a chip shot field goal that would have won the Vikings a playoff game vs. Seattle, and that was the start of his downfall. The kicker finally lost his job for the Vikings after making only 12-of-16 field goals and missing four extra points in 2016.

Offseason foot surgery apparently didn't do the trick for Watkins, who had problems throughout the early part of the year before being placed on IR. After accumulating more than 1,000 receiving yards in only 13 games last season, he could be finished this year after only two games.

Watt had offseason back surgery, only to have a setback early in the season that required another surgery. After playing only three games this season, his future could be in the doubt.

It was another disappointing season for Woods, who didn't return following back surgery last September. He hoped to return early in the year.

Zimmermann signed a five-year, $110 million contract last offseason but had an awful first year with Detroit. The former Nationals pitcher managed to make only 19 appearances due to injuries and had a 4.87 ERA.