Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is injured during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
This season was kinder to some NFL players than to others and there are plenty of pros who would prefer 2016 was forgotten.
Not every year can be a championship year in the NFL. There are always going to be losers and there are always going to be winners. Someone has to be on the bottom.
But most players at least want to turn in a good year, a year they can look back on and be proud of. It’s something that professional players take pride in, leaving it all on the field.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work particularly well. Many players may try hard, but simply can’t do enough to get the job done, continually coming up short. Other players struggle and phone in the season as a result. Still, others languish on bad teams despite their talent, letting the year slip by as a wasted season.
These players have been looking forward to the end of the season for some time. No matter how tenacious they may be, it’s difficult to continue to trudge through a bad season, even for some of the most professional players in the league.
With the finish line in site, it’s time to look at five players who would rather have the 2016 NFL season forgotten. It’s time to look to 2017 and move on. For whatever reason, these players need to put 2016 behind them.
Dec 4, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) reacts after a play in the second half against the Denver Broncos at EverBank Field. The Denver Broncos won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
5. Blake Bortles, QB — Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles and the upstart 2015 Jacksonville Jaguars were expected to take a crucial step forward in 2016 and become a legitimate threat. The team spent money rebuilding the defense, brought in Chris Ivory to help on offense, and Bortles’ monster 2015 season made it appear that the sky is the limit.
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Instead, Bortles has directly contributed to the abysmal Jags season that saw them fire head coach Gus Bradley with two games left to go. A lot of that can be traced back to the young, third-year quarterback.
Bortles has gone from throwing 35 touchdowns and 18 interceptions to throwing just 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions through 15 games. His completion percentage (58.5 percent) is the lowest of his short career and he has a paltry 6.2 yards per attempt, dropping a significant 1.3 yards per attempt from the year before.
This has all come despite the talent upgrade at running back and an improved offensive line that has only let him be sacked 32 times through 15 games (which is an improvement after being the most sacked quarterback in 2014 and 2015 at 55 and 51 sacks, respectively). Bortles simply hasn’t been able to deliver.
This is particularly crucial for a team that has lost a significant number of its games by seven points or less, going 2-8 in games decided by seven or fewer. The turnovers continue to be a major problem, often coming at key moments and continuing a frightening trend of pick-sixes and having five multi-interception games this season. For a quarterback expected to be among the next crop of young, dominant players, this is a major disappointment. Bortles absolutely has to put 2016 behind him and move on.
Dec 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Colts defeated the Vikings 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
4. Adrian Peterson, RB — Minnesota Vikings
2016 was a year when the Minnesota Vikings could finally emerge from the shadow of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North and become a dominant force in their own right. Even with Teddy Bridgewater injured, Adrian Peterson and the Vikings defense were expected to carry the team to victory.
The legendary running back faltered, however, and the Vikings quickly stalled. His injury in Week 2 was enough to put a damper on the season, but it overshadowed a more crucial revelation in 2016: Peterson simply isn’t very good right now.
No running back has been more dominant in recent memory than Peterson. He is the definition of a workhorse and his career will only end with a bust in Canton. That said, the wear and tear of 10 seasons may finally be getting to him.
Prior to his injury, Peterson hadn’t averaged more than two yards per carry on the season. This seemed to be a fluke. But even with his return in Week 15, Peterson only managed 3.7 yards per carry and amassed a paltry 22 yards on the ground. If anybody had predicted prior to 2016 that Peterson would have less than 100 total yards in three games, they would have been laughed out of the room.
Unfortunately, this is now reality for the Vikings and Peterson. The injury coupled with the shift at quarterback, the decrepit and limping offensive line, and the curse of Father Time may have simply been too much for Peterson in 2016. He can’t fight everything in one season and this one certainly became lost far too early for him.
While Peterson did come back starting in Week 15 because he thought the Vikings had something to play for, his play on the field left a lot to be desired. Right now the end of 2016 can’t come soon enough.
Dec 18, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) looks on from the sidelines during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
3. Brock Osweiler, QB — Houston Texans
The $72 million mistake may well become Brock Osweiler’s earned nickname following pedestrian performances all season coupled with disastrous mistakes. He will most likely be around at least one more season because of the guaranteed money tied up in his contract, but he definitely did not make a strong first impression with the Houston Texans.
The Texans needed a quarterback and were willing to gamble on Osweiler, but he was recently out-played by backup Tom Savage after being benched midway through a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s hardly what a high-priced quarterback wants to have happen midway through his first season with a new team.
With just one game left in 2016 and the playoffs looming, the Texans are facing the same situation as they did in 2015. The team has somehow managed to win enough to get into the playoffs, but they have no quarterback. Savage doesn’t seem like the guy to help a team make a deep playoff run but gambling by starting the interception-prone Osweiler may be even worse.
While it may be too early to completely write off Osweiler as a viable starting option, it isn’t too early to start looking at other quarterbacks that are more reliable. The Texans are a good team, but the quarterback position has been downright miserable.
Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) prepares to throw the ball against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB — New York Jets
The journeyman quarterback made a name for himself by being the serviceable player who could start for extended periods of time if need be. Fitzpatrick has taken at least nine starts for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and New York Jets all since 2012. He never quite found a home, but he was good enough to be a starter.
In his 11th season in 2015, Fitzpatrick had a career year. Leading the Jets to a 10-6 record while tossing 3,900 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just 15 interceptions, Fitzpatrick was finally proving he belonged to be in the discussion as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. Fitzpatrick held out for another deal with the Jets but ultimately ended up with just a one-year contract. He did not win over many fans with his selfish holdout.
He lost what fans he had left with his horrendous play in 2016. Leading the Jets to a 2-8 record in 2016, Fitzpatrick tossed just 10 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. The six interceptions in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs is the game that stands out, but his play was lackluster all season long. Fitzpatrick has five games this season in which he has completed 50 percent of his passes or worse.
To say 2016 was a letdown would be an understatement. Fitzpatrick has hardly looked like an NFL player, much less a possible starter in the league. With one game left and at age 34, it’s hard to imagine that he will have many more shots following this disastrous season.
Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) on the sidelines in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
1. Cam Newton, QB — Carolina Panthers
The entire Carolina Panthers team could be listed here, but the NFL is such a quarterback drive league that Cam Newton is the placeholder for them all. After an MVP season and Super Bowl appearance, Newton’s 2016 has been a major disappointment.
Being benched after not wearing a tie on the airplane was a big-time low for the stud quarterback. It is just one of three missed starts in his entire career. If he and the Panthers were doing well it would be unlikely that the team would have benched him. But the Panthers aren’t playing well and Newton was made an example of.
18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions isn’t terrible but it is far from the level of play that Newton is capable of. He should be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at this point in his career and should be able to put his team on his back and carry the day. Unfortunately, he’s falling well short.
With the Panthers mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they can only look to next year. The team proved it was good enough to play in 2015, but they clearly aren’t tough enough in 2016. The Panthers appear far more fragile as a result.
2017 could be very different from 2016 for the Panthers. A return to the Super Bowl is possible but there’s a lot less confidence in the team now than there was at the start of the season.
