Contrary to popular cliché, pressure doesn’t just burst pipes.
In the NFL, pressure leads to firings, benchings, trades and, most of all, regret.
With just 10 weeks until the start of the 2024 season, The Washington Post is taking a look at the 10 players (or duos) around the league who will be the most stressed out when the score matters. And that list starts right here in town…
1. Jets GM Joe Douglas/Head Coach Robert Saleh
What’s rarer than a head coach staying on for a fourth season despite an 18-33 record is a general manager staying on for a sixth season despite a 27-56 record.
The Jets have missed the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons.
One hypothetical offseason betting list has Saleh as the favorite to become the first head coach fired in the NFL.
The Jets are projected as favorites in 11 of their first 12 games, per DraftKings projections, so they have no excuse for a slow start.
Aaron Rodgers is also under a lot of pressure to return from a torn Achilles, but if he keeps his promise to play beyond 2024, it would be difficult for the Jets to hasten his departure under any circumstances.
2. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Frankly, it’s surprising McCarthy avoided being fired after last season ended with a blowout home playoff loss to the Packers.
A regular season record of 12-5 over three straight years and a postseason total of 1-3 is a record that truly exceeds the bounds.
McCarthy and, to a lesser extent, Nick Sirianni of the Eagles and Sean McDermott of the Bills also have to deal with the threat, if their teams don’t live up to expectations, of an unemployed Bill Belichick, who takes over with a team ready to break the NFL regular-season wins record (27 more to go).
Owner Jerry Jones is going to make good on his “All In” promise one day, right?
3. Steelers QB Russell Wilson
Wilson no longer has anyone to blame for his dramatic decline.
First up was the Seahawks offensive line.
The team subsequently had different head coaches: Pete Carroll, Nathaniel Hackett and Sean Payton.
Now is the time for Wilson to revive a career that has put him on a Hall of Fame path over his first 10 seasons.
If he continues to hold the ball too long and avoid the middle of the field, no one would blame head coach Mike Tomlin for turning to Justin Fields to see if a younger option could be a long-term solution.
4. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa is considering playing out his $23.1 million option in 2024 but is unhappy with the numbers being discussed in extension negotiations.
The Dolphins seem reluctant to pay the going rate of $50 million-plus per season for a young quarterback, even though Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) last season after an MVP-caliber performance in the first half of 2022 that was then marred by injury.
There has been growing criticism that Tagovailoa is more of a fastball thrower than a difference-maker.
Tagovailoa will need to perform well again to see any cash flow.
If not, he may seek the franchise tag or a year to prove himself in free agency.
5. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus
Eberflus defended his position last season with a strong defensive showing over the final five weeks, going 3-2.
Eberflus’ biggest offseason decision was hiring former Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to the same role as his partner in developing No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams into a talented rookie quarterback who can work with the NFL’s best receiver trio (D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze), running back D’Andre Swift and an above-average offensive line.
6. Falcons CEO Rich McKay / GM Terry Fontenot
Both executives reportedly convinced owner Arthur Blank to hire his favorite son, Raheem Morris, as head coach rather than Belichick, due to legitimate concerns about a power struggle.
Then Fontenot created a quarterback controversy where none existed, signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million free-agent contract ($100 million guaranteed) that immediately angered Cousins, and then squandered resources that could have helped the team build a playoff-caliber defense by acquiring a game-ready Michael Pennis Jr. with the eighth pick as Cousins’ backup.
Blank should ask whether things are being done for the good of the team or for self-preservation.
7. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
Barkley bet on himself during a two-year contract dispute by refusing to give in to the Giants’ below-market contract offer and concerns about the running back market dropping in value.
As a result, he signed a three-year, $37.75 million free agent contract with the rival Eagles.
Now the onus is on Barkley to make Eagles general manager Howie Roseman look wise for bucking the trend, show he was the missing piece in last year’s offensive collapse, bolster the market for other backs and make the Giants regret letting go of their best playmaker because of a position dispute.
8. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Even if he never again leads the NFL with his 36 touchdown passes from last season, Prescott will likely become the NFL’s first player to earn $60 million a year when he becomes a free agent in 2025.
His contract stipulates that he cannot be franchise tagged.
But does Prescott really want to leave the Cowboys brand?
Is he using his influence too much in stalled contract extension negotiations?
Will he learn the lesson from Cousins’ departure from the Vikings that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side?
Prescott will need to shake off his reputation for not winning in the big events (he’s 2-5 in the playoffs), but the Cowboys’ talented supporting cast will give him all they’ve got.
9. Texans WR Stefon Diggs
Many receivers would be happy to take a pass from Cousins or Josh Allen.
The perennially disgruntled Diggs has managed to escape both of those situations over the past five years and is reaping the rewards by teaming up with rising star CJ Stroud.
The Bills’ trade to the Texans came with the stipulation that the three years remaining on Diggs’ contract be voided, making him eligible for free agency after 2024.
But he’ll need to perform well to surpass the $26 million per year average he earned in his last contract.
10. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
The Staten Island native was a hot topic in coaching searches for years, becoming the Cardinals’ runner-up in 2023 but falling short in 2024 interviews.
why?
The Bengals ranked 31st in total defense.
With quarterback Joe Burrow returning from injury and looking for one last chance to throw some firework passes to the soon-to-be big-money duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it’s up to a defense featuring three quality offseason acquisitions to help return the Bengals to Super Bowl contention.
