Every NFL team's player under the most pressure following minicamp

Which players are under the most pressure after minicamp?
NFL, Aaron Rodgers
NFL, Aaron Rodgers | Justin K. Aller/GettyImages
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NFC West

Seattle Seahawks: Sam Darnold, QB

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald scoffed at the idea that there is any scenario in which Sam Darnold is not his team’s starting quarterback to open 2025. While that may be laughable now, Darnold is far from a certainty despite what we saw from him last year with the Vikings.

He’s not in Minneapolis anymore. He doesn’t have Justin Jefferson anymore, or even DK Metcalf. The Seahawks don’t have Kevin O’Connell. Darnold is going to have to prove he’s ready to break free from the shackles of the nest and fly on his own, and with the talent of Jalen Milroe on the roster, he’s under a lot of pressure to play well early on. 

San Francisco 49ers: DE Yetur Gross-Matos

There will be plenty of opportunities for players to resurrect their careers on the San Francisco 49ers defense this coming season. They’ll be looking at a couple of players off the edge to hopefully revive themselves under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

Bryce Huff will get a shot after the trade the 49ers made with the Eagles, but former second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos has a chance to finally live up to his NFL Draft status in a new city. Gross-Matos showed some promise early in his career but couldn’t develop into anything with the Panthers. Maybe playing opposite Joey Bosa in the Robert Saleh defense will ignite something in him. 

Arizona Cardinals: RG Isaiah Adams

The Arizona Cardinals will have plenty of fascinating roster battles throughout the course of training camp, but one of the players under a lot of pressure is 2024 third-round pick Isaiah Adams.

Adams was the 71st overall pick in last year’s draft by Arizona and anytime you invest that kind of draft capital in a guy, it’s bound to create some pressure. But the Cardinals are under a lot of pressure to perform offensively this season and any weak link, especially on the offensive line, is going to stick out like a sore thumb. They need the guy who was selected with a high third-round pick to come out and play like it. 

Los Angeles Rams: TE Colby Parkinson

One of the most underrated storylines of the 2025 NFL Draft was the fact that the Los Angeles Rams used their top pick on Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson. Along with the veteran Tyler Higbee on the roster, the Rams have a couple of guys who will clearly be involved in the offensive gameplan each week.

Where does that leave former free agent signing Colby Parkinson? There was nothing spectacular from Parkinson last year despite a career-high 49 targets in 17 games played. He adds obvious value to an offense and can be a floor-raiser at the position as a pass-catcher, but with the addition of Ferguson, the Rams might be looking to go a different direction.