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There are several players carrying the weight of great expectations into the 2023 NFL season who aren’t likely to reach that high bar.
Whether they came over in a marquee trade, were a blockbuster free-agent signing or a lofty draft selection, a few talents stand out from the crowd due to their high potential to disappoint.
While the reasons for this may vary—age, injury history, recent production trends and current system were all considered—these five players, listed in alphabetical order, will struggle to live up to the hype in 2023.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens
Odell Beckham Jr. was the most high-profile of the Baltimore Ravens’ offseason signings, but it’ll be tough for the veteran wideout to live up to lofty expectations as the newest member of the team’s receiving corps.
The 30-year-old has been out of football since the first half of Super Bowl LVI. While he scored the opening touchdown in that contest for the Los Angeles Rams, the dynamic receiver exited in the second quarter with a knee injury.
Beckham went on to miss all of last season while recovering from an ACL tear—the second of his career—that he claimed was suffered before the “back half” of the 2021 campaign.
While NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport told The Pat McAfee Show that Beckham’s latest knee procedure went “really well and probably will extend his career,” he missed all of last season. He’s now preparing to make a comeback in an age-31 season. That would be a tall task for any NFL player, especially one who relies so much on his speed and athleticism to be a difference-maker.
Although OBJ caught 52 passes for 621 yards and seven scores in 12 appearances including the playoffs for the Rams, that could be remembered as an outlier for a player who posted just 23 catches for 319 yards and three scores for Cleveland over the first seven games of 2022.
Beckham hasn’t been a consistent factor since his tenure with the New York Giants—which ended a half-decade ago—and there’s a strong chance he’ll show signs of significant regression when he finally suits up again for the Ravens.