NFL

Beyond The Hype: The Most Overrated NFL Players Of The Past Decade

Darren - August 17, 2023

NFL

Beyond The Hype: The Most Overrated NFL Players Of The Past Decade

Darren - August 17, 2023

Matt Cassel

The Patriots received the worst possible news in Week 1 of 2008 when Tom Brady tore his ACL. But it was a massive opportunity for Cassel because the backup stepped up into the hot seat. He had a 10-5 record as the team’s starting quarterback as he slotted into their system. However, that’s the crucial point because he became an overrated player.

Cassel did an effective job as their starter and that’s why Kansas City swooped for him after Brady’s return. But he was a cog in the Patriots’ well-oiled machine. The reality was that Tim Tebow could have looked like the second coming of Joe Montana on that team. In the end, Cassel proved that he wasn’t very good when he moved on (via Seattle Times).

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JuJu Smith-Schuster

Some NFL fans think that JuJu is robbing an existence. Yes, he had a couple of good years in Pittsburgh when he established an on-field bond with Ben Roethlisberger. But he flatters to deceive as a true number one receiver. After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, he joined the Chiefs in 2022 (via Yardbreaker).

Smith-Schuster won a Super Bowl and posted 933 yards, but that’s not incredible. Patrick Mahomes was throwing passes to him so it’s amazing that he fell short of a 1,000-yard season. Next, he joined the Patriots as he continued his tour of the NFL’s biggest franchises. He’s a very good wideout but there’s always going to be someone better than him.

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Jay Cutler

Sometimes a player can have all of the physical tools but don’t put it together on the field. Many people thought that Tony Romo was the most overrated quarterback of the past decade but Cutler was even worse. The Bears stuck with him for eight seasons while he never proved he was the answer.

He infamously threw 26 interceptions in 2009 and 18 in 2008 as he regularly went into double-figures. His longevity meant that he holds many Chicago QB records but this doesn’t mean much. Remember, Chicago is where quarterbacks go to die and Cutler’s career sums that up (via Bleacher Report).

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Baker Mayfield

It feels like a long time since the Browns thought that Mayfield was their savior. Yes, he helped them back to the playoffs after several years of misery but it came to a tearful end in Cleveland. Firstly, we must acknowledge that the franchise treated him horribly. They made it difficult for him to find a new home after they secured Deshaun Watson behind his back.

But Mayfield’s inconsistencies and attitude also rubbed people the wrong way. The former Heisman winner failed to prove that he was the answer when he joined the Panthers. He had an unbelievable opportunity to show the world that he wasn’t finished. Now he’s at last-chance saloon in Tampa Bay (via The Cold Wire).

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Khalil Mack

Mack was one of the NFL’s top defensive players for four years but that feels like a long time ago now. The Chargers thought that they made a genius move when they nabbed him from the Bears. But he has yet to prove that he is the same Pro Bowl star he was during his prime years.

People still talk about him as if he’s a potential MVP but the reality is that he’s not at that level right now. Sure, he’s found himself in tricky situations but his production dipped in Chicago. He had better individual seasons than his entire career in the Windy City. It’s a shame because he was a magnificent talent but he doesn’t seem as good now (via Fansided).

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Dak Prescott

The Cowboys have had some of the NFL’s most overrated players over the past decade. Their starting quarterback Prescott is one of the most obvious. Once again, he’s not a bad player but he isn’t operating at the top level. In seven years, he didn’t achieve anything spectacular despite enjoying good weapons (via TWSN).

In 2022, he threw 15 interceptions despite missing multiple games as he displayed a decline. It’s possible that the Cowboys’ coaching situation wasted his best years but he hasn’t delivered. They’ve never played in an NFC Championship game with Prescott in the hot seat. Meanwhile, look at the instant impact of players like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow in the AFC.

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Trevor Lawrence

Few players arrive in the NFL with the same amount of hype as Lawrence. Not even Joe Burrow carried the same levels of expectation as the former Clemson star. We probably have to go back to Andrew Luck joining the Colts. Everybody was saying that Lawrence was a generational talent and a clear number-one pick despite a stacked class (via NBC Sports).

But he had a traumatic rookie season under Urban Meyer. That wasn’t completely his fault because it was a dysfunctional situation. His sophomore year saw him make the playoffs with Doug Pedersen. But Lawrence also had immature and costly moments that showed his overrated level. He has amazing potential but he’s not the full package yet.

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Eli Manning

The younger Manning brother has two rings but that doesn’t mean he was an amazing player. Let’s caveat this by saying that he did nothing wrong against the Patriots in both Super Bowls. He had some excellent moments as his team proved that they were Tom Brady’s kryptonite. But it’s important to remember that the Giants had a great defense.

Manning’s highest-ever passer rating was 93.6. Meanwhile, he only won playoff games in the two seasons the Giants picked up rings. There’s no denying his efficiency and that he deserves to be a New York icon. Nonetheless, it’s wrong to pretend that he was a top-tier quarterback because it’s incorrect (via Bleacher Report).

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Trey Lance

Lance has had one of the strangest NFL careers in recent years. First, he’s been very unlucky with injuries. The Niners planned to make him their starter in 2022 but then he broke his ankle and suffered ligament damage. Then Brock Purdy appeared out of nowhere to become the year’s feel-good story and a potential long-term answer.

The problem is that Lance was the third-overall pick in 2022 and carried high expectations. Former Jets scout Daniel Kelly told Sports Illustrated: “It is absolutely absurd he is even in first-round draft discussions. Lance is the most overrated prospect in my 40 years of watching football (via Sports Illustrated).”

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Ezekiel Elliot

Never pay top dollar for a running back because it won’t end well. The Cowboys learned this the hard way when they gave Elliot a foolish six-year, $90 million contract extension. He still had two years on his deal so we don’t know what they were thinking. Anyway, ‘Zeke’ proved over the next few years that he was one of the NFL’s most overrated players.

He’s indeed had some messy years because of Dak Prescott’s injury woes. But he never stepped up when Prescott had long-term absences. His deal also forced the Cowboys to trade Amari Cooper because they couldn’t afford to keep him and Zeke. It didn’t help that Elliot’s production also declined every season (via Fansided).

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Aaron Rodgers

Rodger is a four-time MVP but we still think he’s one of the most overrated players in history. The fact that he only has a single Super Bowl ring says everything. His list of postseason failures proves that Green Bay couldn’t depend on him in clutch situations. Yes, he has amazing statistics and a long list of records but that’s not enough.

This didn’t stop the Jets from splashing on the veteran in 2023. They believe there’s a chance that he will revive their offense and transform them into a contender. Have they watched him play for the past decade? He is barely above .500 in the playoffs and is a weak leader even though he has had brilliant weapons around him (via Sportskeeda).

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