Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen has been a top-5 quarterback in the NFL for a half-decade at this point, and he's helped the Buffalo Bills franchise turn into a yearly juggernaut atop the AFC. The team has made the playoffs each year since 2019, and they've enjoyed moderate playoff success during this stretch.
But as we have seen, Allen and the Bills just cannot get over the hump in the AFC, and it's mostly been due to the Kansas City Chiefs. Heading into the playoffs in 2025, many looked at this year being the year for Buffalo since the Chiefs were nowhere to be found, but the Bills again blew it in the postseason.
At some point, if Allen wants to stop hearing all of this 'playoff failure' chatter in the offseason, he's got to find a different gear and at least appear in a Super Bowl. Now, yes, he's not going anywhere and will likely finish his career as the starting quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, but each year the Bills fail to get over the hump in the playoffs, the noise only gets louder.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
After a magical rookie season that saw the Washington Commanders get within one game of the Super Bowl, Jayden Daniels appeared to be heading toward superstar status, but his 2025 season was cut short, as Daniels just could not stay on the field and appeared in just seven games, throwing for eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
Daniels is a thinly-built quarterback who is also a dual-threat player, so the injuries were an unfortunate reality of his physical frame. It's hopefully something he can put behind him in 2026 and beyond, but Daniels will become eligible for a massive contract extension after 2026.
And if he's again in and out of the lineup due to injuries, the Commanders would delay that extension or perhaps not even entertain one at all.