Pressure doesn’t discriminate.
Although they might have previously earned big contracts, Pro Bowl honors and Most Valuable Player awards, the pressure is on these NFL standouts to deliver spectacular results this season to silence some of the naysayers picking apart their games.
Here are the five players feeling the most heat heading into 2025:
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
After being surrounded by the best roster in football, the pressure is on Jackson to lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl after multiple playoff failures. Although “QB wins” are subjective, it is hard to ignore Jackson’s playoff failures (3-5 postseason record with a 60.5% completion rate and a 10:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio) when he wins almost 75% of his regular-season games with a 64.9% completion rate and a 166:49 touchdown-to-interception ratio. With a regular-season resume that also features a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the Ravens need the two-time MVP to “show up and show out” in the postseason. If Jackson’s regular-season success carries over into the playoffs, the Ravens are a lock to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX.
Micah Parsons, OLB, Dallas Cowboys
If the Cowboys and the two-time All-Pro are unable to agree to terms on a new deal before the regular season (assuming Dallas doesn’t honor Parsons’ trade demand), Parsons must play well during the final year of his rookie contract to secure the bag he deserves as a blue-chip defender with 52.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 63 tackles for loss in 63 games. While it is rare for such an accomplished playmaker to reach the final year of his rookie contract, Parsons must dominate opponents in a “prove it” year that will determine whether he pushes the pass rusher market past the $45 million/year mark. Given his production as a big-play machine throughout his tenure with the Cowboys, the fifth-year pro could be the next marquee pass rusher to break the bank next offseason.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O’Connell moved on from Sam Darnold to hand the ball to a second-year pro who sat out his rookie season with a torn meniscus in his right knee. Although the Vikings expected McCarthy to claim the starting job early in his tenure, the lack of experience could hinder an offense that torched opponents with a journeyman at the helm. As KOC tweaks his scheme to accentuate his young quarterback’s strengths as a mobile playmaker, he must keep star wideout Justin Jefferson and Co. engaged with creative schemes that keep defenders guessing while featuring simplistic reads for the passer. Given McCarthy’s success at Michigan operating as a pass-first point guard, the new QB1 can keep the offense humming as a high-end game manager.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Despite being the highest tight end selected in NFL Draft history, the fourth overall pick of the 2021 draft has been a bit of an enigma as a playmaker. Pitts flashed Pro Bowl talent as a rookie with a 1,000-yard season that prompted evaluators to view him as the next game-changer at the position. However, the fifth-year pro has failed to surpass the 700-yard mark since his spectacular debut season. While Pitts’ tantalizing talent and tools make him a coach’s dream, the sub-par production and performance make it imperative for him to crush it in a contract year. Perhaps the end of the Falcons’ quarterback carousel with Michael Penix, Jr. installed as the starter will help the tantalizing playmaker re-emerge as a difference maker.
Jawaan Taylor, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
The much-maligned right tackle enters 2025 on the hot seat as the most penalized (31) NFL player since 2023. Taylor’s penchant for false start penalties and holding calls overshadows his pass protection struggles (seven sacks allowed in 2024, per PFF) as an edge blocker for the NFL’s designated QB1. Though the film suggests the veteran played better than his stats, the Chiefs’ decision to sign Jaylon Moore (two-year, $30 million) and expend a first-round selection on Josh Simmons puts the pressure on Taylor to play like the franchise tackle the team envisioned when he inked a four-year, $80 million deal in 2023.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.
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