Mayfield, Hopkins lead group of NFLers entering make-or-break season
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The 2023 NFL season kicks off with the Detroit Lions travelling to Kansas City to take on the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.
Every player and team has something to play for every year – obviously, the glory of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy cannot be understated.
However, sometimes circumstance can create extra motivation for players and other key team personnel in a season. Sometimes, players can enter make-or-break seasons and turn that motivation into something historic.
In 2007, Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick after two disappointing seasons with the Oakland Raiders. At age 30, Moss needed to prove he was still a threat in the NFL. He responded by catching a single season-record 23 touchdown passes that year, and went on to play another four seasons afterwards.
It doesn't always work out as well as it did for Moss – which makes sense, considering he's one of the greatest players in NFL history. Here are four players or head coaches entering a crucial 'prove it' year in their NFL careers.
Matt LaFleur
Matt LaFleur Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur is one of many disciples of the Mike Shanahan wide zone offence that took the league by storm in the 2010s under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. LaFleur spent one season as the Rams offensive coordinator under McVay in 2017, and took over as head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 2019.
In four seasons under LaFleur, the Packers have a combined record of 47-19, and have never finished worse than 13th in scoring offence.
While LaFleur may not necessarily be in danger of being fired if this season doesn't go well, this is his first chance to prove he's a capable coach in the NFL and not just a coach in the right place at the right time with future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
The Packers jettisoned Rodgers to the New York Jets this past off-season, and now LaFleur will have to ply his offensive knowledge with former first-round draft choice Jordan Love leading the team.
"I don't think any quarterback can truly do it on their own in this league. So it's going to be everybody rallying around him and trying to be at the best of their ability so that he can go out there and perform as good as he possibly can," said LaFleur in the off-season.
McVay was able to construct a top-flight offence with multiple quarterbacks through the years with the Rams, now LaFleur will have to prove he has the know-how to do the same in Green Bay.
Baker Mayfield
Former first-overall draft pick Baker Mayfield joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the summer after making 10 starts for the Carolina Panthers and Rams last season.
The quarterback spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns and led them to a playoff victory in the 2020 season, but they traded him to the Panthers last off-season after acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans in a franchise-altering deal.
Now 28 years old and with his fourth team in three years, this is likely Mayfield's last chance to prove he is a capable starter in the NFL.
"I know how talented I am. I know what type of leader I am," Mayfield said when he was named the starter for Tampa Bay. "Now it's time for the real thing. We're about to have the real games and everybody's excited here."
The Buccaneers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record last season, and all indications are the division should be open for the taking again this season.
Last season, Mayfield completed 60 per cent of his passes for 2,163 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He led his teams to a 2-8 record in games he started. An improvement on those numbers is crucial to Mayfield getting another chance next season.
Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel took over ahead of the 2018 season and has led the franchise to a 48-34 record over the past five seasons, with three playoff appearances.
The team struggled last year – especially down the stretch – as they lost their final seven contests to finish 7-10 and miss the playoffs.
Tennessee's offence has gone from fourth in scoring in 2020 down to 28th in 2022, and their defence has finished in the bottom third of the league in yardage allowed three of the past four seasons.
The offensive attack stagnated last season, and with a roster that doesn't inspire much confidence this season, Vrabel will need to coach well to set the tone for his team early on to keep his job.
Two factors are working in Vrabel's favour to open the season: the AFC South is projected to be one of the weakest divisions in football, with rookie quarterbacks leading two teams, and he is working with a healthy roster.
DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins Tennessee Titans
Tennessee finished with the 30th-ranked passing offence in the NFL last season; partly because starting QB Ryan Tannehill missed five games due to injury, and partly because of a lack of receiving threats.
Tannehill is healthy now, and the Titans hope to have an answer for the receiving problem in the form of DeAndre Hopkins.
This season is perhaps the most important of Hopkins' career, though – the 31-year-old has missed 15 of 34 possible games the last two seasons, due to injury and a performance-enhancing drug suspension.
"I always wanted to be somewhere where I knew I could maximize my potential," said Hopkins. "Besides wins, (the Titans) are getting someone who is going to push people around me, and make everybody else's job a little easier."
After catching 115 passes for 1,407 yards in 2020, Hopkins has failed to eclipse 750 yards in the previous two years with the Arizona Cardinals. This may be his last chance to prove he can still be a dominant threat in this league.