National Football League

Baker Mayfield, Kevin Durant can't escape being under duress

Updated Apr. 8, 2022 11:14 a.m. ET

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A familiar name tops Chris Broussard's most recent "Under Duress" list. 

For the second straight week, and as long as Baker Mayfield is unable to find a starting position around the NFL, Broussard says that the former first-overall pick will remain the most at-risk player in professional sports. 

"All these other guys at least have jobs," Broussard said. "Because unless [Mayfield] is a ball boy for the Cleveland Browns, he has no quarterbacking job right now."

Here is the "First Things First" host's complete top five.

Kevin Durant and Doc Rivers make Chris Broussard's Under Duress list

Which star athletes and coaches are under duress this week according to Chris Broussard?

5. Zion Williamson and David Griffin, New Orleans Pelicans

The outlook: New Orleans received a positive prognosis on their oft-injured superstar Zion Williamson from his stepfather Lee Anderson on Tuesday, with Anderson saying he still expects his son to play this season for the Pelicans. And while the high-flying forward's return could bolster a first-round Cinderella bid for the Pels, the decision requires tact from both Zion and the front office. 

Williamson will be wary of re-injuring himself after missing the entire 2021-22 regular season with a foot injury, while vice president of basketball operations David Griffin will hope not to widen a reported rift between Williamson and the New Orleans franchise. 

Broussard's thoughts: "Zion's stepdad came out and said recently he expects Zion to play this season [and that] Zion's ready to play this season. That's good news of course, but if Zion goes out there and plays there will be pressure. It will be the play-in, maybe it'll be the playoffs and he'll have to go out there and play well and obviously not get hurt. David Griffin is feeling the heat as well because if you let Zion play, and he gets hurt, not good. If you don't let Zion play, the rift between Griffin and Zion and his family could grow a little bit more. So this is a tough situation for the New Orleans Pelicans."

4. Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers

The outlook: Believe it or not: the Dodgers look like one of the best teams in baseball. After finishing sixth in team OPS (on-base + slugging) last season, Los Angeles added five-time All-Star Freddie Freeman to take their consistent perch among World Series contenders. 

Dave Roberts seems to think it's not even a competition, guaranteeing Dodger fans a championship parade down Rodeo Drive. For a team that has won just one World Series in the last 10 years, Roberts will need to buck history to keep his ambitious promise.

Broussard's thoughts: "Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager, he went on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and guaranteed a World Series guys, guaranteed. And look, the Dodgers are great, but here's the thing. They've been the best team in baseball probably for the last decade. They've got one World Series ring to show for it, and that was in the COVID-shortened season. Now Roberts has a huge lineup, they added Freddie Freeman, they look great. [The] pitching is good, but is the depth there to get them the World Series?"

3. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

The outlook: Durant's super-team project has imploded spectacularly through two seasons in Brooklyn, as fellow stars James Harden left the team and Kyrie Irving refused a vaccine mandate, leading Durant to carry the load of a disappointing season. KD has focused on the team's long-term goals despite an upcoming play-in matchup, and the aging superstar may not have the luxury of waiting years for the Nets to construct another championship team around him. 

Broussard's thoughts: "Now Durant's been talking about the future, right, saying, ‘I came here for the long haul. We got time to win championships.’ Look, KD's going to be 34 years old at the start of next season. KD will be in his 15th season and not everybody ages like LeBron [James]. KD has now been in Brooklyn [for] three years and has not sniffed the conference final. My point is this, KD cannot waste any postseasons. 

" … We all want to see, as great as Kevin Durant is, can he lead his own team to the championship? Not just go to Golden State where they're already built. He is under duress because every postseason, you have to get it because you're not getting any younger, KD."

2. Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers

The outlook: Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers has a rocky history with the month of April in recent seasons, as a number of promising Sixers teams have sputtered early in the playoffs. But Philly has approached the month with a vengeance thus far, sporting a 3-0 record since April 1. Hopefully, Harden and Joel Embiid can inspire a different postseason fortune for Philly this season. 

Broussard's thoughts: "We're staying in the association, but going to the bench: Doc Rivers. Whenever your name is mentioned as a candidate for another job, and you already have a job, that isn't good. And we all know, or there's a strong feeling, that if the Sixers underachieve again in these playoffs, many people seem to think that Doc Rivers could be fired for the second time in less than two years. And then beyond that, what are your players thinking when you walk in the locker room and they read that[Rivers] could be coaching the Lakers next year? So it's not a good situation in Philly. But Doc, the only way to overcome it is to win, win, win, win."

1. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

The outlook: Mayfield remains the other man in Cleveland's quarterback room at the expense of record-signee Deshaun Watson, with the Browns giving little thought to starting their former first-round pick. Mayfield's $18 million dollar salary also appears too steep for teams around the league to consider, leaving Mayfield likely without a starting role for this coming season. 

Broussard's thoughts: "I know teams are like, 'We don't want to pay the 18 million to have him. We’ll just get him once he's waived, once he's released.' What that tells me Nick [Wright], and I know you don't want to hear this, is that teams don't have faith in him. 

"They think, 'we'll come bring him in and see what he can do.' But nobody's out there saying, ‘This is our guy. We believe in him strongly.' Because $18 million isn't a lot to pay for a guy that you really think could be your franchise quarterback. Not to mention, to add injury to insult, he's still recovering from the shoulder injury. So Baker, it isn't good for him right now." 

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Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans

Los Angeles Dodgers

Kevin Durant

Brooklyn Nets

Philadelphia 76ers

Baker Mayfield

Cleveland Browns

National Basketball Association

National Football League

Chris Broussard

First Things First