National Football League

Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers among stars 'Under Duress'

Published Mar. 17, 2022 4:41 p.m. ET

Pressure can make diamonds, but all that glitters is not gold.

And though each person on Chris Broussard's "Under Duress" list possesses the potential to turn pressure into prosperity, they could also crack under its weight.

In the end, it will be up to them which direction they take.

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

Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are "Under Duress"

Chris Broussard's "Under Duress" list is back, and this time it's Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Baker Mayfield are in the hot seat. Watch as Broussard lays out who's under the most pressure in the world of sports.

5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

The outlook: Mahomes has blessed NFL fans with four years of seemingly impossible throws and one of the best stretches of quarterback play in recent history. But the AFC is no longer taking Mahomes' success lying down, as the conference is loaded with QB stars. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert have all evolved into elite quarterbacks by age 25.

For a man burdened with the expectation of making 10 Super Bowls like Tom Brady, Mahomes faces an annual buzzsaw to reach the summit.

Broussard's thoughts: "What creates duress? Expectations, and when you come into the league and your first year as a starter, throw 50 TDs and win MVP. Then you win the Super Bowl, and your third year you get back to it, that creates expectations: ‘Jordan-esque, GOAT potential.’ It's getting tougher and tougher on him to get back to the Super Bowl and win it. He doesn't have to win seven like Brady, but how about three or four? The AFC is getting tougher, and his own division is loading up."

4. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres

The outlook: During his first full MLB season in 2021, Tatis proved he is more than an energetic, bat-flipping counter-weight to old-school baseball, he's a bona fide superstar. The slugging shortstop rocketed 42 home runs and finished third in MVP voting last season, and with the help of Manny Machado and a franchise-record $170 million roster, San Diego is built for immediate success.

But Tatis arrived at camp with wrist pain that turned out to be a broken bone, and a pivotal season for Tatis will begin with him sidelined for three months.

Broussard's thoughts: "After the longest lockout in MLB history, he shows up to spring training with a broken wrist. And to add insult to injury, we think he injured it in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic. And now he's going to miss the next three months after surgery, and the Padres are all-in. Now their best player is hurt. He should be the face of the league, he's got everything he needs, except he's had trouble staying healthy. Now three of his first four seasons he's been hindered by injuries."

3. Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers

The outlook: We're entering a historically painful time of year for Doc Rivers. The longtime head coach is a master of the regular season, enjoying a winning record every year since 2007 across three franchises, but that success has hardly translated into the NBA playoffs. Rivers hasn't reached a conference final in more than a decade, and his playoff CV is filled with brutal 3-1 collapses and shocking first-round exits.

With James Harden joining the Sixers and looking nearly unguardable running the pick-n-roll with Joel Embiid, championship expectations have come to Philly. Rivers will hope to leave behind last season's disappointing defeat to the Hawks and rekindle his playoff mojo.

Broussard's thoughts: "When Doc was hired in Philly, the hope was that he'd get them a championship. But when they traded for James Harden, the expectation became that he would win them a championship. Last year, they got beat by a clearly inferior Atlanta team in the playoffs. Doc has blown a lot of big leads in the playoffs, he's blown more 3-1 leads than anybody in NBA history. [NBA reporter] Marc Stein said that Mike D'Antoni could be on Daryl Morey's radar. If they don't have a great run in the postseason, I think Doc could be on that hot seat."

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

The outlook: Aaron Rodgers' protracted contract dispute finally ended this week with Rodgers becoming the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. The long-time Green Bay gunslinger will likely face these heightened expectations without the aid of his top receiver Davante Adams, however, who enjoyed the highest percentage of targets among any wideout over the last two seasons.

With Green Bay breaking the bank to return most of its core for 2022, Rodgers may need to find a new go-to receiver ahead of a pressure-packed season.

Broussard's thoughts: "Congratulations on the three-year, $150 million deal, my goodness! But here's the problem: Your superstar wide receiver Davante Adams is upset because they franchised him in Green Bay. He said he will not play on the franchise tag, and he turned down an offer that reportedly would've paid him $23 million a year because he wants to be the highest-paid WR in the league. If it doesn't work out with Adams, the perception will be that Aaron Rodgers took all the money, and didn't leave any for his guy that he called his 'best teammate ever.' They've got to get Davante back for many reasons."

1. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

The outlook: Baker Mayfield's reputation, once remarkably clean while leading Cleveland out of the gutter, has taken a hit both professionally and personally in recent months. Mayfield limped to a 35.1 quarterback rating in 2021, the fifth-worst figure in the league, and Cleveland now looks likely to bring in a replacement quarterback.

Cleveland's board also took shots at Mayfield's character, saying they want an "adult in the room," so the ex-Sooner must prove he has both the talent and the temperament to quarterback an NFL team.

Broussard's thoughts: "His team is openly courting someone else, and Baker didn't handle it well. He seemed to verify that with his tweet of surrender. After that, Chris Mortensen of ESPN comes out and says ‘the Browns want an adult in the room.’ The pressure's on — we'll see where he goes next — but he's got to prove himself. Not only will he be in a new place, but he doesn't have that contract extension either, so Baker will be under major duress next season."