Pressure can create diamonds or it can bring out the worst in players. Across the NFL, this is the time of year for optimism and dreaming the best possible scenarios for every team. Minicamp has just ended for almost every team around the league, and there are a variety of players on every roster who are under varying levels of pressure.
We canvased the entire spectrum of NFL site experts here in the FanSided NFL division, the experts who cover your favorite teams around the league, to figure out which players are under the most pressure now that minicamp and OTAs have come to a conclusion.
With weeks remaining before training camp hits and the NFL season is officially underway, we're looking at one player from all 32 teams under the most pressure to show up in a big way, either in training camp or this coming season, in general.
One player from all 32 NFL teams under the most pressure in 2025
AFC North
Cleveland Browns: RB Jerome Ford
The Cleveland Browns are obviously an organization that is under a lot of pressure right now, but there are a lot of young players on the roster as this team looks to strip things down to the studs and figure out who’s going to be part of the core going forward. With the Nick Chubb era officially in the rearview, attention is fixed on Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, two really good rookies for this Browns team who could be stealing carries from Jerome Ford. Ford is feeling like a bit of an afterthought in this offense right now, so he’s going to enter training camp with his back on the wall a bit.
Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Aaron Rodgers
Now that he’s officially signed to a one-year contract, nobody is under more pressure with the Pittsburgh Steelers than quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is going to be tasked with taking this team to new heights in the AFC North division race as well as keeping Mike Tomlin’s non-losing streak alive and well. The Steelers fan base is going to be expecting the newly-wed Aaron Rodgers to do everything in his power to add another Lombardi to the trophy case.
Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Shemar Stewart
The situation with 1st-round pick Shemar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals has gone to unparalleled and unrivaled levels of bad. The Bengals are apparently looking for ways to get out of guaranteed money in Stewart’s contract, and he’s not having it. The rookie has put himself under a tremendous amount of pressure as a result, although the organization is under more pressure than any individual player on the team at this point. The contract situations with Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart have shown mind-boggling levels of organizational incompetence.
Baltimore Ravens: LG Andrew Vorhees
From Matt Sidney, the site expert at Ebony Bird: “Guy has had a tumultuous start to his career after being regarded highly coming out of the 2023 draft. He missed his entire rookie season and lost the starting spot last year to Patrick Mekari. A team with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry can only rely on unproven talent so long before they opt for better options.”
A young offensive lineman taking on a big role for the Baltimore Ravens offense is a scary proposition, but others have stepped up in recent years. Roger Rosengarten and Daniel Faalele have really stepped up and Voorhees could be the next in line.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars: OL Ezra Cleveland
The Jacksonville Jaguars are under new management, taking a lot of pressure off of a lot of players because they’re getting the slate wiped clean. If the low-hanging fruit is Trevor Lawrence, then the deep cut is offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland. Black & Teal site expert Carlos Sanchez Hernandez weighs in:
“Coming off an overwhelming season, Trevor Lawrence would be the popular pick. However, he has enough things going in his favor — clean slate, better supporting cast, Liam Coen — to make you think that he can bounce back in 2025. With that in mind, Ezra Cleveand is the obvious choice.
Since being traded to the Jags at the 2023 deadline, Cleveland hasn’t done much of note and has failed to stay healthy. Yet, he got a three-year deal worth $24 million last offseason. Then again, the new regime has shown that it’s not afraid to move on from underachievers, and the former Boise State Bronco could tumble down the depth chart or even get the boot if rookie Wyatt Milum makes a strong impression in training camp.”
Tennessee Titans: WR Treylon Burks
The Tennessee Titans are breaking in a #1 overall pick at the quarterback and there’s a new general manager in town. That puts a lot of pressure immediately on a wide receiver who was a first-round pick of the previous coaching and front office regime. Titan Sized site expert Justin Melo weighed in on the player under the most pressure in Nashville, wide receiver Treylon Burks.
“Burks is entering a contract year after that Titans rightfully declined his fifth-year option. The first-round bust is still recovering from last year's season-ending knee injury, limiting his participation at OTAs. Burks is on the roster bubble heading into training camp and is a candidate to be traded for pennies on the dollar.”
Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony Richardson
Especially after news broke that he would be missing an undisclosed amount of time with another shoulder issue, and one with no clear end in sight, quarterback Anthony Richardson found himself under even more pressure than anyone expected this offseason. And there were plenty of folks who felt like Richardson could lose his job to Daniel Jones in a fair fight.
Horseshoe Heroes site expert Cassandra Chesser sounded off on Richardson’s tough situation:
“Richardson was already under pressure going into 2025, which is seen as his last chance to keep his job as starting quarterback. But being injured during OTAs has forced him into a setback that he can’t afford. He’ll need to have a major rebound during training camp to prove he can still be QB1.”
Houston Texans: RB Joe Mixon
The Houston Texans got some really great production last year out of veteran running back Joe Mixon, but is he suddenly in danger of losing a bunch of carries and touches in 2025? The Texans used a fourth-round pick on running back Woody Marks, which isn’t that big of a deal, but then they went out and signed veteran free agent Nick Chubb, who is going to be extremely motivated after signing essentially a prove-it deal. You could probably add Dameon Pierce to this list as well, as he seems like a clear trade candidate for the Texans. Mixon might not get the same volume of touches we saw a season ago.
AFC East
New England Patriots: WR Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs’s personal life was rather exposed over the course of OTAs and minicamp, and he had to answer some awkward questions about pink substances on a boat as a result. The Texans signed the veteran Diggs to a three-year deal worth $69 million and when you give a guy like that a bunch of money, you’re going to be expecting him to set an example in every possible way. Diggs not only has to prove himself worthy of the contract, but he has to be a key part of Drake Maye’s development.
Miami Dolphins: Cam Smith, CB
When you have certain players who were draft picks and favorites of a prior coaching staff or specific coach, those players are always going to be in tough situations on a year-to-year basis. The Dolphins only got one year out of Vic Fangio, who left for his dream job with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Fangio unfortunately left behind cornerback Cam Smith. Phin Phanatic site expert Brian Miller offered this on the pressure Smith finds himself under this offseason:
“Cam Smith was called out by Chris Grier during a pre-draft press conference. If his OTAs have been any indication, he may not be responding the way the Dolphins want. Smith was burned a couple of times in practices and came away with an injury to boot. Training camp is going to be critical for his retention, but for now, it is looking more and more like he will be another wasted 2nd-round pick.”
New York Jets: QB Justin Fields
There is really no question that the player on the New York Jets roster right now who is under the most pressure is Justin Fields. They might have other guys vying for roster spots elsewhere on the team, but this is likely Fields’s final shot (at least for the time being) to be a legitimate Day 1 starter for a team in the NFL. Fields was a 1st-round pick in 2021, and the luster of that has not yet worn off.
The Jets believe they can maximize his abilities, and maybe they will. Fields has arguably a better overall supporting cast than any of his other stops, and if you want to argue the Steelers had better personnel last year, then the Jets’ situation is better because Fields isn’t dealing with any sort of impending benching.
Buffalo Bills: CB Dane Jackson
The Buffalo Bills have made some serious efforts to kill needs with fire in the 2025 offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They signed a couple of veteran defensive linemen in Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi before adding a handful of guys in the 2025 NFL Draft for the defensive front as well.
They also went hard after the cornerback position and might not be done. They were rumored to be interested in a potential Jaire Alexander trade before he was cut, and they brought back former 1st-round pick Tre’Davious White. The moves the Bills have made in the defensive backfield put a player like Dan Jackson in the roster crosshairs and if the Bills feel like their investments in youth at the cornerback position can work out quickly, they likely won’t hesitate to dump Jackson.
AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders: Tre Tucker, WR (need a WR2 to step up & drafted 3 rookie wideouts)
The Las Vegas Raiders have a new head coach, a new quarterback, and a lot of new potential options at wide receiver for Geno Smith to throw the ball to.
Nobody in the AFC West needs receivers to step up more than the Las Vegas Raiders, who have Jakobi Meyers and not much else at the moment. Of course, everyone’s going to be excited what Jack Bech can do and Dont’e Thompson Jr. has drawn some early rave reviews. Former third-round pick Tre Tucker is going to be under a lot of pressure to carve out a clear role for himself this offseason with a changing of the guard on that side of the ball.
Los Angeles Chargers: Tre Harris, WR; Najee Harris, RB
If your last name is “Harris” on the Los Angeles Chargers offense, odds are that you’re under a lot of pressure this offseason. Tre Harris is a second-round rookie who will be under a lot of unfair pressure from fans this season because of the Chargers’ dire need for other weapons to step up at wide receiver along with Ladd McConkey.
Najee Harris is under a different brand of pressure with Omarion Hampton breathing down his neck at the conclusion of the offseason program. Harris no longer has the benefit of his 1st-round draft status mattering in the slightest. Hampton does.
Denver Broncos: Audric Estimé, running back
The Denver Broncos made one of the biggest free agent moves of the last handful of weeks when they signed veteran running back JK Dobbins, formerly of the division rival LA Chargers. Dobbins was 2nd in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting last year and was obviously outstanding for them, racking up over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 13 games.
The signing of Dobbins clearly puts a lot of pressure on someone like Audric Estimé, a 5th-round pick in 2024 who was expected to take on a bigger role this season. With the arrival of Dobbins, Estimé is going to have to maximize every opportunity the remainder of the offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs: Jared Wiley, TE
Travis Kelce is back for yet another season and Noah Gray has carved out a really important role in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense. The Chiefs don’t necessarily need a third guy to step up at the tight end position right this moment, but a lot of folks really loved Jared Wiley coming out of TCU and felt like he could potentially even challenge someone like Gray for snaps and targets.
To this point, that hasn’t been the case. The Chiefs have the veteran Robert Tonyan now in the mix along with a couple of intriguing UDFAs and Wiley’s job could be in danger.
NFC North
Detroit Lions: EDGE Marcus Davenport
If there is one team that has had a sneaky bad offseason in 2025, it’s been the Detroit Lions. The Lions obviously have really high expectations this year based on how things went for them last year, but they’ve lost both coordinators (Ben Johnson & Aaron Glenn), they’ve lost multiple starters on the offensive line, and they absolutely have not done enough to upgrade their depth off the edge.
Marcus Davenport is someone they are counting on in a big way this year and understandably so. The former first-round pick has been a good player when healthy but good health has been hard to come by. They are expecting a lot out of a guy who has played a combined six games over the last two seasons.
Minnesota Vikings: QB JJ McCarthy
The offseason hype train for JJ McCarthy is, as you would expect, completely off the rails at this point. It feels like everybody in the NFL media world is trying to over-correct after sort of doubting that Kevin O’Connell could work any sort of magic last year with Sam Darnold, and then they won 14 games.
JJ McCarthy is in a completely different situation. As talented as he is, and even with the NFL coach of the year on his side, McCarthy is going to be under a ton of pressure this season to keep that operation humming in Minneapolis. He has the leadership traits to get it done, but can his leadership and charisma translate to on-field success at the highest level?
Chicago Bears: OT Braxton Jones
According to Bear Goggles On site expert Jordan Campbell, this pick is, “A little unfair because he’s recovering from ankle surgery, but rookie Ozzy Trapilo sure looks like he’s going to steal the job.”
The job in question is the Chicago Bears’ starting left tackle position. The Bears have had obvious needs for a couple of years now on the offensive line, and you can just ask Justin Fields about that if you need any further clarity. Although Fields and Caleb Williams have taken their share of sacks that were their fault, the offensive line needed to be upgraded.
The Bears felt strongly about Ozzy Trapilo enough to spend a 2nd-round pick on him. He just recently threw out a 1st pitch at a Cubs game, not something you usually see a guy who is going to be standing on the sidelines doing.
Green Bay Packers: Romeo Doubs, WR
No matter what way you slice it, the wide receiver position is going to be under the microscope in Green Bay this offseason. The same is true of the cornerback position.
After OTAs, there are a lot of Packers players under pressure, but Romeo Doubs really stands out. There is some context with Doubs dating back to last season in which the Packers benched him, he dealt with injuries, and he’s been part of some trade rumors.
At this point, he’s still in Green Bay, but it feels like it would be shocking if he was still on the roster by the beginning of September. The drafting of Matthew Golden and Savion Williams has put players like Doubs and Christian Watson under immense pressure in 2025.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE
What’s become abundantly clear the last couple of years is that Kyle Pitts is teetering on the edge of being one of the biggest disappointments in recent NFL Draft memory. When he was at Florida, Pitts looked like a man among boys and a truly perfect player for the modern NFL offense to utilize. Now, he’s been the center of a plethora of trade rumors and uncertainty. Blogging Dirty site expert Grayson Freestone offered this about his situation:
“The former fourth-overall pick has been a big disappointment since his near record-breaking rookie season. He has opened up offseason activities with an injury that has held him out of practice. There has been speculation and rumors that he could be traded as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.”
Carolina Panthers: WR Xavier Legette
This is a pivotal year for a lot of players with the Carolina Panthers. You could point to any number of guys defensively who are under pressure to perform, but arguably nobody on this roster has more pressure being heaped up on them in 2025 than second-year wide receiver Xaier Legette.
The Panthers went after Tetairoa McMillan with a top-10 pick this year, and former UDFA Jalen Coker built some exciting chemistry with Bryce Young last year. The Panthers also brought in Hunter Renfrow to join veteran Adam Thielen as two very capable veterans to raise the floor of the group. Struggles for Legette won’t be met with as long of a leash.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rachaad White, RB
The Buccaneers got a breakthrough season in 2024 from stud rookie Bucky Irving, who looks like one of the most exciting every-down backs in the league. They also got some really underrated production out of Sean Tucker, another young back with some team control.
Rachaad White is entering the 2025 season in a contract year and without a clearly defined role thanks to the emergence of Irving last season. White still had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns last year. He has tremendous value on all three downs but will he be playing more of a second fiddle this year than he did a season ago?
New Orleans Saints: QBs Tyler Shough & Spencer Rattler
If the Saints can get any semblance of solid productivity out of their quarterback position this season, they’ll vastly exceed some extremely low expectations. Right now, the competition of Tyler Shough vs. Spencer Rattler isn’t exactly inspiring or riveting.
The Saints have spent a lot of money for a team that’s expected to be bad. They waited a long time to hire Kellen Moore as their head coach after he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. They are giving off confidence in their offseason plan but the wrench Derek Carr threw into things makes this an even more pressure-packed situation for a couple of young QBs who could be fighting against the lust for whoever could be the Saints’ next top-5 draft pick.
NFC East
New York Giants: WR Jalin Hyatt
The New York Giants just feel like an organization that is walking on eggshells this offseason. They have a lot of talent defensively, but the offense is loaded with question marks, including the former third-round pick Jalin Hyatt. Matt Sidney of GMen HQ offered up some insight into a make-or-break offseason for the playmaker:
Hyatt enters an uncertain time in NY. He checked out of the 2024 season entirely and is in an interesting spot. Russell Wilson has sung his praise early and often and even worked out with him in L.A. before offseason work even began. The 2022 Biletnikoff winner is hanging by a thread and needs all the help he can get.
Philadelphia Eagles: RB A.J. Dillon
After surprisingly not getting much traction in 2024 NFL Free Agency, AJ Dillon returned to the Green Bay Packers on a rare one-year deal that ultimately didn’t end up working out for him or the team. Dillon is a former second-round pick who is now making his way back to the upper northeast where he played his college ball at Boston College.
The man with the quads that consistently break the internet each offseason has a great gig in Philly, which is to back up and spell Saquon Barkley. But that means he’s going to have to keep the offense moving when he’s out there and maximize touches.
Washington Commanders: WR Luke McCaffrey
Pressure comes in a variety of ways. Some guys are under pressure because they’re fighting for their roster lives, while other guys are under pressure because they’ve drawn some rave reviews coming out of minicamp. In the case of Washington Commanders second-year receiver Luke McCaffrey, it’s the latter.
McCaffrey has been outstanding so far this offseason and looks like he might be poised for a second-year breakout. And there’s going to be some pressure based on how well he’s done this offseason, but the pressure feels a lot healthier than some other situations around the league. Hopefully, folks aren’t expecting him to be exactly like his older brother in terms of dynamic on-field impact.
Dallas Cowboys: TE Luke Schoonmaker
The Dallas Cowboys have a number of guys who are under pressure offensively this year, but it feels like former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker is under the type of pressure that could lead to him being cut or traded at some point this offseason.
Jake Ferguson is already more proven and has carved out a substantial role in the offense. Brevyn Spann-Ford seems to be having a strong offseason program and might even be surpassing Schoonmaker already, even without the pads being on.
The Cowboys just haven’t seen the type of impact from Schoonmaker that you need to see from a player picked within the top 64 selections overall, and their patience is likely wearing thin at this point.
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.