Five NFL players in a contract year who need to step up

4. David Johnson, RB, Houston Texans

Once upon a time, David Johnson was an emerging superstar who many believed was capable of becoming the cream of the crop at his position. However, following a wildly impressive 2016 campaign, it’s been all downhill for the 29-year-old. Johnson has missed 22 games over the previous four seasons, has seen his yards-per-carry average drop significantly, and then found himself traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the Texans last year. And while Johnson took a step in the right direction in 2020, some of the lingering issues continued to persist. This offseason, Houston restructured the final year on Johnson’s contract and then went out and signed Melvin Ingram, adding him to a group that also features Phillip Lindsay and Rex Burkhead, who also signed as a free agent. The writing is very clearly on the wall. Johnson had better turn back the clock or his Texans career (and possibly his NFL career) are likely over.

3. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Cleveland Browns

Jadeveon Clowney keeps getting paid, but that could soon come to an end if he doesn’t find his health and start producing on the field. The Browns took a one-year flyer on him after a wasted year in Tennessee and an unspectacular 2019 campaign in Seattle. The former first-round pick has never quite lived up to the hype and has yet to record a 10-sack season in his career. He’s also appeared in a full 16 games just once, so at the age of 28, his opportunities are dwindling. Now playing alongside Myles Garrett, Clowney will see more favorable matchups and one-on-one situations similar to what he saw early on in Houston when J.J. Watt was the dominant force. But make no mistake about it, if Clowney bombs again, his days of getting the big bucks (and any hope of a long-term contract) are over.

2. Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

Evan Engram has been a bit of an enigma since Day 1. He’s obviously extremely athletic and should be considered a matchup nightmare for just about every defense in the NFL. But injuries and inconsistency have defined his career. The Giants picked up his fifth-year option based solely on potential, but a long-term contract should not be expected unless Engram turns a corner in 2021. His work ethic is unparalleled. However, his on-field lapses are not only too frequent, but they often come at the worst possible times. Case in point: he had a drop in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles last season that not only cost the Giants the game, but ultimately cost them the division. Luckily for Engram, he’s a favorite of head coach Joe Judge, but that will only take him so far.

1. Chandler Jones, LB, Arizona Cardinals

Sometimes players appear on this list not because they’ve underperformed throughout the course of their contract, but because the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league. Such is the case with Chandler Jones, who recorded 60 sacks over his first four seasons with the Cardinals before recording just one sack in five games last season. Fair or not, Jones now enters the final year of a massive $82.5 million deal. At the age of 31, he must prove to either Arizona or another team that he’s deserving of another long-term contract. If Jones is unable to rebound and return to his dominant ways in 2021, he may be looking at a one-year, prove-it deal during free agency next season.