NFL players in decline going into 2020

While still productive, Fitzgerald has failed to reach 1,000 yards in either of the last two years. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, Fitzgerald is likely to take on more of a complementary role in the Cardinals offense at age 37.

Gurley has been fighting through an arthritic knee over the last two years, and he had only 3.8 yards per carry for the Rams last year before he was cut. The Falcons signed Gurley to replace Devonta Freeman, but this clearly isn't the elite player we saw early in his career.

Campbell remains a great player and perhaps even elite, making his fifth Pro Bowl in six seasons during 2019. Still, his 6.5 sacks was his lowest total since 2015, and Campbell is entering his age 34 season.

Hughes had an off year in 2019, with only 4.5 sacks, 23 tackles and nine quarterback hits. Most of those totals are his worst since joining the Bills in 2013.

An elite interior pass rusher for much of his career, Short played only two games in 2019 due to injury. Although Short made the Pro Bowl in 2018, he had only three sacks, the worst total since his rookie campaign.

Graham got a lucrative two-year deal from the Bears despite a poor year in Green Bay, finishing with 38 catches for 447 yards and three scores over 16 games. It's difficult to see Graham improve substantially in a less explosive offense going on age 34.

Injuries have been a theme for Green in recent seasons. He played 10 games in 2016, nine games in 2018, and missed all of 2019. The seven-time Pro Bowler will look to rebound this season at age 32.

There was speculation the Browns might move on from Vernon after a poor first season in Cleveland. He had only 3.5 sacks in 10 games and has struggled to stay on the field over the last three seasons.

The oft-injured Lee has been more of a role player recently, though he did manage to play all 16 regular season games in 2019. An All-Pro in 2016, Lee played only 59 percent of the snaps last year at age 33.

Jacksonville was willing to trade Bouye in the offseason partly because of a poor 2019 campaign. He was burned frequently in the Jaguars secondary but hopes to right the ship this year with Denver.

Amendola is still going strong as sure-handed slot receiver, with 62 catches for 678 yards for the Lions last year. It was his third team in as many years, and at age 34 he doesn't have the quickness that he did earlier in his career.

Rodgers is still better than most NFL quarterbacks, though it's fair to say he's not quite what he was a few years ago. While still regularly making plays, Rodgers seemed to play more conservatively last season at age 36, finishing with only 4,002 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Watt remains a true superstar when he's on the field, but he's missed at least half the regular season in three of the last four years. His rate of sacks was also down last year, with only four in eight regular season games.

The Chargers finally turned the page on Rivers during the offseason, and his poor 2019 season was one reason. He threw 20 interceptions, tied for the second most in his career, and his 3.9 percent touchdown rate was the worst of his storied career. The Colts are hoping for a bounce back year at age 38.

Thompson was a difference making third down back at times in Washington, but durability has long been a problem. He's played 16 games in only once in his career and struggled in few opportunities last year, with only 3.7 yards carry over 37 opportunities. Jacksonville hopes he can be a solid change of pace back for Leonard Fournette.

Watkins was a playoff hero for the Chiefs after a very inconsistent regular season. He had only 673 yards receiving in 14 games and remains far from the 1,000 yard we saw early in his career with Buffalo. It's possible he could see less attention this season with the emergence of Mecole Hardman.

A solid corner for much of his career, Amukamara saw his performance decline in Chicago last season, allowing a 66 percent competition rate and more than nine yards per target. The Raiders are still hoping he can help a secondary that has struggled recently.

Harris moved on from Denver after a forgettable season in a new defense. He allowed a whopping 10 yards per target, struggling after making the Pro Bowl in four of the previous five seasons. He's hoping a new role for the rival Chargers helps at age 31.

Whitworth is still a very good pass blocker, but he's not the elite player the Rams signed in 2017. Turning 39 in December, the slight decline did seem inevitable.

Howard made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season with the Bears, with more than 1,300 yards rushing, but his production has declined sharply each season since then. He's likely to take on a complementary role with the Dolphins in 2020, his third time in as many years.

Barr re-signed with Minnesota last year, but his production on the stats sheet wasn't quite what some hoped. He remains productive but missed out on the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie season in 2014.

Newton has had shoulder and foot injuries over the last two years and played only two games last year. New England was able to sign him on the cheap late in the offseason, with the hope he has something left while replacing Tom Brady.

Jenkins spent the first five seasons of his career in New Orleans and rejoined the Saints after six years and three Pro Bowls with Philadelphia. While still very reliable, Jenkins' production in coverage did slip last year as he failed to make the Pro Bowl at age 32.

Tate was signed by the Giants last year to help offset the loss of Odell Beckham. He was suspended for part of the year and caught less than 60 percent of his targets for the first time since his rookie season in 2010. His role could be diminished this year as the Giants get a longer look at Darius Slayton.

Bell wasn't the same last year after holding out for all of 2018. He had only 1,250 yards from scrimmage and 3.2 yards per carry in 15 games with the Jets. The hope is that offensive line improvements will help Bell this year.

Jeffery played only 10 games last year due to injury, and the start of his 2020 season is also in jeopardy due to a foot problem. When healthy, Jeffery's 49 yards per game in 2019 was also well below his career norm.

The Steelers are thrilled to have Big Ben back this season after he played only two game sin 2019 due to an elbow injury. It's worth remembering that he was also off to a very slow start last year at age 37 and without Antonio Brown. It stands to reason that he could see further decline after surgery.

Coleman signed from Atlanta last offseason but was used even less in San Francisco than his former home. He was outproduced by other backs on the 49ers roster, averaging only 4.0 yards per career and 39 yards per game despite a running back friendly offense.

Olsen signed with Seattle during the offseason in what could be his final year before entering the broadcast booth. While he managed to play 14 games after playing a combined 16 games over the previous two years due to foot problems, Olsen's 597 yards was far from his usual production.

Brady really struggled in New England last year, barely reaching 4,000 yards passing and throwing only 24 touchdowns. He had trouble due to a poor supporting cast, but Brady's arm strength also clearly deteriorated at age 42. The move south to Tampa Bay and the team's excellent weapons might help revitalize his career.

Butler will always be remembered as a Super Bowl hero while with the Patriots, but his play hasn't quite been what the Titans hoped when they signed him in 2019. He played only nine regular season games last year and was frequently burned.

Kerrigan's incredible streak of consistency halted last year, missing games to injury for the first time in his nine-year career. His production was also off at age 31, with only 5.5 sacks in 12 games. Kerrigan might lose snaps this year on a team loaded with pass rushers.