From A.J. Brown to Joe Burrow: 32 NFL players who need a change of scenery for the 2026 season

The NFL playoff picture is tightening, and with it comes a clearer view of which players around the league may benefit from a change of scenery.

From fading stars and miscast starters to emerging young talents buried on depth charts, every team features at least one notable name who could see his career revived — or redirected — by moving on after the season. 

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS (5-5-1) | CB Trevon Diggs | Diggs hasn’t played since Week 6 due to a mysterious concussion suffered at home. Even before the injury, the two-time Pro Bowler appeared to be a declining player, recording the second-lowest pass-coverage grade of his career (62.5, per Pro Football Focus). Leaving Dallas might give Diggs his best chance to revive his career. 

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-10) | RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Rookie RB Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8, but when he returns next season, Tracy should take a backseat. Skattebo had five rushing TDs in eight games (Tracy has one in 10). The 26-year-old could compete for an RB1 role on another team. 

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES  (8-3) | WR A.J. Brown | Trade rumors about Brown have quieted, but he still might be unhappy with his role in Philadelphia’s offense. Through 10 games, he’s averaging a career-low 12.3 yards per reception. The three-time Pro Bowler could put up better numbers with a more pass-happy team.   

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS  (3-8) | DT Daron Payne | Payne should be tired of playing for a team that has made just two playoff appearances since 2020, and Washington could trade him for draft picks. Plenty of teams would be interested in the one-time Pro Bowler, who remains productive. Through 10 games, the Alabama product ranks third on the team in tackles for loss (five).  — Clark Dalton

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS  (3-8) | QB Kyler Murray | Murray hasn't played since suffering a foot injury during the Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He has thrown for 20,460 yards, passed for 121 touchdowns, thrown 60 interceptions and holds a 38-48-1 record as a starter. Since the Cardinals drafted him first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, he has only made one playoff appearance (2021). Murray is under contract through the 2027 season, with a team option for 2028.

LOS ANGELES RAMS  (9-2) | Safety Quentin Lake | The fourth-year player from UCLA is in the final year of his rookie deal and was recently placed on injured reserve after elbow surgery. Lake ranks third on the team with 61 tackles and is a vital part of the defense, but with his contract ending after this season, it’s likely he might look elsewhere, considering the organization’s history of not re-signing its own safeties.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS  (8-4) | WR Brandon Aiyuk | It seems that Aiyuk's time in the Bay Area may be coming to an end. Recently, it was reported that the 49ers voided the guaranteed money on his four-year, $120 million contract extension signed before the 2024 season. Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee during a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and has been out since. Despite posting a career-high 1,342 receiving yards in his most recent full season (2023), it looks like Aiyuk is heading towards a split from San Francisco.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS  (8-3) | CB Riq Woolen | He made the Pro Bowl following an impressive rookie season in 2022 (63 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and six interceptions). Since then, his production has declined in each category, leading to a below-average Pro Football Focus overall grade of 56 (78th of 109 qualified CBs). Woolen has struggled in coverage, and his starting job is far from guaranteed. — Colby Colwell

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS (8-3) | TE Cole Kmet | Kmet could be a No. 1 tight end in the NFL, as shown by his 170 catches, 1,737 yards and 17 touchdowns from 2022-24. However, the veteran has taken a back seat this season to first-round draft pick Colston Loveland, so it's probably time for him to move on.  

DETROIT LIONS  (7-4) | CB Terrion Arnold | Arnold, a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2024, has a ton of talent, but he's off to a rocky start to his NFL career. The cornerback led all defensive players in penalty yards as a rookie, and he ranks 91st of 109 qualified CBs in Pro Football Focus grade this season. Arnold might need a restart in a new defensive system. 

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-3-1) | RB Emanuel Wilson | Wilson has performed well as a backup running back for three years, but it’s time for him to start. The 26-year-old has averaged 4.6 yards per rush in his career, and in Week 12, he went off for 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings in his first start of the season. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-7) | WR Justin Jefferson | J.J. McCarthy is the worst statistical quarterback in the NFL since the Vikings went all-in on him last offseason. Jefferson is putting up career-low marks in yards per game (72.3), yards per catch (13.3) and catch rate (60.6 percent) while being on pace to score only three touchdowns in 2025. The superstar has the skill and hunger to become one of the greatest statistical wide receivers of all time, but it won’t happen with McCarthy at QB. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS  (4-7) | TE Kyle Pitts | It might be hard to find a taker for the underperforming No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, but with Pitts set to enter free agency following the season, it’s increasingly difficult to see him living up to his potential in Atlanta. In 24-10 Week 12 win over the New Orleans Saints, he dropped multiple passes.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-6) | RB Chuba Hubbard | After beginning the season as Carolina’s RB1, Hubbard has ceded the role to offseason free-agent signee Rico Dowdle, who has played roughly 56 percent of his available offensive snaps compared to 39 percent for Hubbard. In a backup role the past four weeks, Hubbard — who signed a four-year, $33.2 million extension in November 2024 — has 15 carries and is averaging 17 yards per game.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-9) | QB Spencer Rattler | Rattler held off rookie Tyler Shough for the starting role as long as he could before the wheels fell off with six turnovers in a two-game span. That said, the 2024 fifth-rounder showed enough promise in his first six starts that he could intrigue other teams that might give him a better chance of competing for a starting role.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS  (6-5) | LB SirVocea Dennis | Few linebackers have been a bigger liability in coverage than the third-year Bucs defender, who has allowed 421 passing yards as the nearest coverage defender, the second most among qualified linebackers (h/t NFL Pro). Dennis has another year on his rookie contract, but it might do him and the Bucs some good to consider parting after the season. —  Eric Smithling

AFC East

BUFFALO BILLS (7-4) | WR Keon Coleman | Coleman has been a healthy scratch for two straight games after missing a team meeting before a Week 11 game against the Buccaneers, raising questions about his future in Buffalo. The Florida State product, a second-round pick, ranks third on the team in receiving yards (330) and may have untapped potential.

MIAMI DOLPHINS  (4-7) | WR Tyreek Hill | Hill said he may retire this offseason after suffering a season-ending left knee injury in Week 4. If the eight-time Pro Bowler decides to play, the Dolphins should consider moving on from the WR, who seems unhappy in Miami. Jaylen Waddle — who ranks 16th in the league in receiving yards (722) — has proved he can handle WR1 duties during Hill’s absence. 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS  (10-2) | RB Rhamondre Stevenson | Stevenson has returned after missing three games with a toe injury, but rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson may now be the Patriots' RB1. The 2025 second-round pick has rushed for four TDs over his past three games. Stevenson, who ranks second on the team in rushing TDs (three), could earn a starting gig elsewhere. 

NEW YORK JETS  (2-9) | QB Justin Fields | After being benched for Tyrod Taylor before Week 12, it’s apparent Fields' days in New York are numbered. The 2021 first-round pick may no longer be a starting QB, but he could be a decent backup. In five seasons with the Jets, Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, he has 52 TD passes and 32 interceptions. — Clark Dalton

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS  (9-2) | WR Marvin Mims Jr. | The emergence of second-year WR Troy Franklin has reduced Mims’ role. Franklin has a team-leading 81 targets in 11 games, while Mims has 32 in nine games. Teams that want more speed to their WR room should be interested in the former Oklahoma star, who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.  

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS  (6-5) | RB Isiah Pacheco | Pacheco — who is in the last year of his rookie contract — was once considered a lead back for the Chiefs but is now the RB2 behind Kareem Hunt. After 12 weeks, Hunt leads the team in rushing yards (457), while Pacheco ranks second (329). Perhaps Pacheco, who helped the Chiefs win Super Bowls during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, could salvage his career elsewhere. 

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS  (2-9) | TE Michael Mayer | Mayer ranks fifth on the team in receiving yards (182), but he’ll never become a starter for the Raiders with star second-year TE Brock Bowers on the roster. The former Georgia product finished second in 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting after setting the rookie record for receptions (112 in 17 games) last season. Mayer — a 2023 second-round pick — could have a bigger role on another team.   

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS  (7-4) | TE Will Dissly | Dissly — who is in the second year of a three-year contract — may be more tradeable with the emergence of rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II, a Syracuse product who ranks third on the team in receiving yards (507). Dissly — who had a career-high 50 receptions in 2024 — could be a solid addition for a TE-needy team. — Clark Dalton

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS  (6-5) | WR Devontez Walker | A fourth-round pick in 2024, Walker has always made the most of his opportunities, whether it be in the preseason or his limited regular-season snaps. But he never seems to get many chances. In two years, he has only seven targets, catching five for 111 yards and three touchdowns.  

CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-8) | QB Joe Burrow | Will the Bengals ever do enough to get Burrow back to a Super Bowl? In six seasons with the team, they have made the playoffs twice and failed to put a good defense around him or build an adequate line to protect him. The Bengals have already chased one top-pick quarterback out of Cincinnati because of their inability to support him (Carson Palmer). 

CLEVELAND BROWNS  (3-8) | QB Dillon Gabriel | It seems that Gabriel is about to lose his job in Cleveland, losing out to the Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado rookie's hype machine. Gabriel, also a rookie, showed some flashes of ability after being selected in the fourth round, but he doesn't seem to have a future with the Browns.  
 
PITTSBURGH STEELERS  (6-5) | RB Kaleb Johnson | A third-round pick in 2025, Johnson (22 carries for 58 yards) was supposed to step into the lineup and boost the running game immediately. But almost every time he has played this season, something has gone wrong. He's buried on the depth chart behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.  — Adam Gretz

AFC South

HOUSTON TEXANS (6-5) | LB Christian Harris | A 2022 third-round pick out of Alabama, Harris was a full-time starter for the Texans in his first two NFL seasons. Injuries have since left him facing an uphill climb in Houston, and he has just three total tackles in nine games this season. Harris is only 24 and flashed potential early in his career, so a new team might be willing to offer him a more significant role.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-3) | QB Anthony Richardson Sr. | Richardson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, barely put up a fight in his offseason competition against Daniel Jones. The former Florida star is now on injured reserve and watching Jones revive his career. The Colts are fighting for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, but Richardson is the forgotten man. 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS  (7-4) | WR Dyami Brown | Brown had a strong postseason with the Washington Commanders last year, parlaying the success into a one-year, $10M contract with the Jaguars. But even with injuries to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, Brown has been a non-factor in the offense (19 catches, none in the past three games).

TENNESSEE TITANS  (1-10) | DT Jeffery Simmons | Simmons is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but he is wasting away on the worst team in the league. The 19th overall pick in 2019 has 5.5 sacks and remains a force in the middle of Tennessee’s defense. Simmons is just 28 and would likely command the most lucrative trade package of any player the Titans have, so they should consider moving him for draft picks. — Steve DelVecchio