NFL 2025: One player on every team with the most to prove

Starting Week 1 in the NFL, the pressure goes up for all teams and all players. But these players below have more to prove — to their teammates, to the front office, to the media and to the fans — than all the others on their teams.  

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | QB Dak Prescott | After missing most of last season because of a hamstring injury, the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL must prove he can be the engine for success in Dallas. Prescott flashed his MVP potential in 2023, completing a career-high 69.5 percent of his passing attempts and throwing for 36 touchdowns. Now, with two-time first-team All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons traded to the Green Bay Packers, the Week 1 spotlight is solely on Prescott.

NEW YORK GIANTS | OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux | The fifth overall pick in 2022 is considered the fourth-best pass-rusher on a defensive front made up of Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter. Thibodeaux had just 5.5 sacks in 2024 and must nearly double that to keep pace with the rest of the front in 2025. If Thibodeaux contributes at a high level, he could prove why he should stay in New York long term.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | CB Cooper DeJean | In his second year, DeJean must prove he can be a reliable anchor for a defense that lost several key veterans. He’ll need to make more game-altering plays like his pick-six in the Super Bowl last season and avoid any second-year regression. DeJean will face a test in Week 1 against the Cowboys’ wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, giving him ample opportunity to show why the defense remains one of the league’s best.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | WR Deebo Samuel Sr. | Samuel used to be a staple of the San Francisco 49ers' high-powered offense as a dual-threat receiver who would gash defenses on the ground on jet sweep plays as much as he would receiving. However, he scored only three touchdowns in 2024, suggesting the 29-year-old is past his prime. Still, in a run-heavy offense with QB Jayden Daniels always looking for a big play, the Commanders may be the right place for Samuel’s career revival.
— Conor Killmurray

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | WR Marvin Harrison Jr. | The 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist at Ohio State played okay as a rookie, but he must be more than that. The fourth overall draft pick in 2024 had the fifth-most receiving yards (885) among rookies and eight TDs, but more is expected of him on a team that finished 8-9 last season.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | QB Matthew Stafford | The Super Bowl LVI champion’s health and longevity are a focal point going into the season as he continues to deal with a lingering back injury. Stafford, who ranked near the bottom of the league while playing under pressure in 2024, is expected to start Sunday’s opener against the Houston Texans.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | QB Brock Purdy | Is he the real deal? The Niners think so after signing him to five-year, $265M (including $40M signing bonus) in the offseason. He took a step back last season (65.9% completion percentage, down from 69.4 the season before). The pressure is on.  

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | QB Sam Darnold | Following a disappointing end to his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold was brought in to replace Geno Smith. In 2024, he finished fifth in passing yards (4,319) and TD passes (35), but Darnold must make quick decisions in the pocket. He'll be put to the test in the opener at home against the 49ers. — Colby Colwell

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | QB Caleb Williams | Williams is under pressure to produce a bounce-back season after going 5-12, fumbling 10 times and taking a league-high 68 sacks in his rookie campaign. By hiring offensive guru Ben Johnson at HC, fortifying the offensive line with three key additions and adding depth at wide receiver and tight end, the Bears have done everything in their power to set Williams up for success. 

DETROIT LIONS | CB Terrion Arnold | Arnold is an enticing talent who went in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he ranked 179th among cornerbacks in Pro Football Focus grade and led all NFL defenders in penalties (11) and penalty yards (167) as a rookie. After ranking 31st in the league in passing yards allowed per game last season (247.1), the Lions need Arnold to step up in Year 2.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | DT Devonte Wyatt | The Packers vastly upgraded their pass rush by trading for Micah Parsons, but they compromised their rush defense by giving up DT Kenny Clark in the deal with Dallas. Offenses will run straight at this interior defensive line. The Packers will rely on Wyatt, who ranked 112th among defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus' run-defense grade last season, a ton this season. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | QB J.J. McCarthy | The Vikings have an elite coaching staff and a Super Bowl-caliber roster headlined by blue-chippers Justin Jefferson (WR), T.J. Hockenson (TE), Christian Darrisaw (OT), Jonathan Greenard (LB) and Byron Murphy Jr. (CB). The only question is McCarthy, who will make his first NFL start in Week 1 against the Bears. Minnesota’s season will come down to how the 22-year-old performs. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | TE Kyle Pitts | Few players have been more disappointing over the past few seasons than Pitts, who followed up a 1,026-yard rookie season with three consecutive duds. Running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, other recent top-10 picks, are trending upward heading into 2025, and if Pitts doesn’t get his act together, he could be left behind or, worse yet, hold the Falcons back.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | CB Jaycee Horn | After getting his big payday, Horn must be a lockdown corner to earn it. He has a tough matchup out of the gate against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who sport the dynamic receiving duo of second-year pro Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie Travis Hunter.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | QB Spencer Rattler | Rattler might not spend much time as starter with rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough looming as a backup option. The Saints open at home against the Arizona Cardinals, who are dealing with numerous edge-rusher injuries, giving Rattler an opportunity to earn his first win in seven career starts.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | WR Emeka Egbuka | WRs Jalen McMillan and Chris Godwin are out with injuries, putting a spotlight on the 2025 first-round pick when Tampa Bay takes on division rival Falcons in Week 1. Egbuka played sparingly in the preseason (30 snaps), making this Sunday the first extended look at the former Ohio State wideout. — Eric Smithling

AFC East

BUFFALO BILLS | DE Joey Bosa | Bosa must live up to his one-year,  $12.6M contract. Plus, the oft-injured pass-rusher must prove he can stay healthy after missing 23 games over the past three seasons. He’ll get plenty of runway with linemates Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi suspended for the first six games of the regular season, but Bosa must do better than the 0.35 sacks per game he averaged last season.

MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | The “Cheetah” needs a fast start after a terrible end to the 2024 season in which the 31-year-old receiver refused to finish the team’s regular-season finale, a 32-20 loss to the Jets. Hill led all NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 but ranked 30th with 959 yards last season. Miami could be in for a long season if Hill can’t get going against the Colts' weak secondary.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | RB Rhamondre Stevenson | TreVeyon Henderson got off to a hot start by taking the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD in the team’s first preseason game, essentially putting Stevenson, the team’s No. 1 running back, on notice. Stevenson is not nearly as explosive as his rookie teammate and averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry in 2024.

NEW YORK JETS | QB Justin Fields | Fields threw for well under 200 yards in four of his first six starts as a Steeler last season, a number he must beat when his team hosts Pittsburgh in Week 1. Now playing for his third team in five years, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft will look to avoid new Steelers cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, who have 13 Pro Bowls, four All-Pro nominations and 21 years of NFL experience between them. — Bruce Ewing

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS | RB RJ Harvey | Harvey — a second-round pick out of Central Florida — rushed for 47 yards and one TD on 13 carries in preseason. He must show more in a Week 1 home game against the Titans to prove he’s the RB of the future.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | TE Travis Kelce | Last season, the future Hall of Famer had 823 receiving yards in 16 games, his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2013. Kelce, 35, better not look washed up in Friday’s game against the Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, or Chiefs fans may start to wonder if he should’ve considered retiring this offseason. 

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | WR Jakobi Meyers | On Wednesday, Meyers acknowledged he’s entering a pivotal year after Vegas denied his trade request amid a contract dispute. The WR — entering the last year of a three-year, $33M deal — could start showing why he deserves an extension in a Week 1 road game against the Patriots.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Justin Herbert | Herbert’s one of the more talented QBs in the league, but his playoff record (0-2) raises questions about his ability to win big games. Beating Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in Week 1 would help him change the narrative that he can’t deliver in crucial moments. — Clark Dalton 

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS | TE Mark Andrews | Andrews, 29, has been a great Raven, but he was subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason, is coming off a brutal playoff showing in which he dropped two key passes and has a younger player in 25-year-old Isaiah Likely pushing him for playing time. He must show that he can still be a go-to target for Lamar Jackson. 

CINCINNATI BENGALS | DL Myles Murphy | Pretty much everybody on the Cincinnati defense has something to prove this season after two dreadful seasons. But nobody has more to prove than Murphy. The team’s 2023 first-round pick has yet to start a game and has recorded just three sacks in two seasons (zero in 2024).

CLEVELAND BROWNS | WR Cedric Tillman | The Browns have a good No. 1 wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy, but the depth after him is a huge question, especially following the failed Diontae Johnson experiment. Tillman, a third-round pick in 2023, is one of the players facing the pressure to have a breakout season after catching just 50 passes over the first two seasons of his career.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The Steelers are taking a big gamble that a soon-to-be 42-year-old QB still has juice left in his arm and can get them over the hump that has prevented them from winning a playoff game for eight consecutive seasons. Rodgers must prove that his dreadful time in New York with the Jets was just an outlier and that he can still perform at a high level and help get a team to a championship level.  — Adam Gretz

AFC South

HOUSTON TEXANS | RB Nick Chubb | Chubb has suffered numerous significant injuries dating to when he was a star at Georgia, and he is now two seasons removed from the latest. He looked a step slow with the Browns when he returned midway through last season and averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry. With RB Joe Mixon hurt, the 29-year-old Chubb should have an immediate chance to prove he can still contribute.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | QB Anthony Richardson | Richardson lost his starting QB competition against Daniel Jones, so his path to proving his worth will be difficult. The expectation is that he will have a chance to play at some point in 2025, and his future in Indianapolis will be at stake if and when that happens. The former No. 4 overall pick has just 11 touchdown passes compared to 13 interceptions in 15 career games.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | QB Trevor Lawrence | Lawrence signed a five-year, $275M extension before last season. He then struggled through an injury-riddled season and finished with just 2,045 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 10 games. With a new offensive-minded head coach in Liam Coen, Lawrence will be expected to play at an elite level in his fifth NFL season.

TENNESSEE TITANS | CB L’Jarius Sneed | The Titans traded for Sneed last offseason and then signed him to a four-year, $76M contract. The expectation was that he would transform the defensive backfield, but he was unable to stay on the field. Sneed was limited to just five games because of a quad injury that required surgery, so he is hoping for a huge bounce back in 2025. — Steve DelVecchio