5 NFL teams that will definitely disappoint fans in 2021
Disappointing fans is relative in the NFL but these five teams are setting their supporters up for a big letdown in the 2021 season.
Not that Shawshank State Penitentiary and the NFL have much in common at all but hope is a dangerous thing in this league, especially for fans in the offseason. From free agency to the NFL Draft to best-shape-of-their-life season to training camp, the offseason is inadvertently designed to raise the hopes, expectations and optimism of many fan bases.
But even after playoff expansion that took effect in the 2020 campaign, more teams still miss the postseason (18) than those that make it (14). That means that many of the fanbases who are hyped up in July about the prospects of their favorite team making the playoffs and, perhaps, going on a run will eventually be staring down disappointment.
While there are many teams who could end up getting bad breaks or just not be as good as fans expected in the 2021 NFL season, these five clubs stand out as the ones that are quite clearly setting their fanbases up for a big letdown this year.
5. Denver Broncos
There are very few weak points on the Denver Broncos roster. That’s just a factual statement at this point. Rookie Patrick Surtain II completes a strong, deep secondary on all levels, Von Miller and Bradley Chubb can be a dominant pass-rushing duo, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant and K.J.. Hamler are a fantastic group of pass-catchers, and the offensive line has emerged as one of the league’s better overall units.
Yet, the Broncos are in a position where their most glaring weakness is quarterback, which is never a good spot for an NFL team to be in. Incumbent starter Drew Lock and newcomer Teddy Bridgewater are the top two players at the position on the depth chart and, while Bridgewater can be solid and Lock has physical tools, neither player has looked capable of late in terms of leading a team to the playoffs.
When you then factor in that the coaching staff in Denver still has a lot to prove, things become a bit more concerning. But the cherry on top is the fact that this team plays in the AFC West, the same division as the Chiefs and up-and-coming Chargers. For my money, the Broncos still sit notably behind those two division rivals and, subsequently, all of the hype about their roster is going to end up with a team hovering around 8-9 or 9-8.