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2023 NFL Season: Three players set to disappoint on the field

By Lou Scataglia

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 21: Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants reacts during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 21: Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants reacts during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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The last thing teams want to see is one of their top players disappoint on the field. In the 2023 NFL season, I think these three are set to do just that.  I’m not advocating for anyone to disappoint, but it’s going to happen.

I think the worst possible scenario is a player disappointing so much that they end up on the bench, or a player who is on a large contract disappointing.  It’s going to happen in 2023 as it’s happened in every other year before that.

Quarterbacks are a good position to look at for both potential breakout players and potential disappointing players.  Two of the three players on this list are quarterbacks.

Which players could disappoint in the 2023 NFL season?

2023 NFL Season: Three players set to disappoint on the field

Daniel Jones

The four year extension that Daniel Jones signed with the New York Giants was an embarrassing overpay.  He somehow managed to earn $40 million per year on his new deal even though his “breakout” 2022 season consisted of throwing for 15 touchdowns and finishing with a passer rating in the low 90s.

Brian Daboll is a great coach, but I don’t see much improvement from Daniel Jones in year two in this system.  I think he’s a very low-ceiling type of QB and I don’t think he’ll progress much as a passer, at least not enough to live up to the massive extension he signed.

The Giants can get out of that deal after just two seasons, so it’s not a total financial commitment, but expect Danny Dimes to turn into Danny Nickels in 2023.

Geno Smith

If you look over the last 20 or so years, you’ll see a good bit of examples of backup caliber QBs breaking out for a year before returning to their normal form in the following seasons.  Geno Smith is going to be the next QB to fall into that trap.

He was surprisingly efficient in 2022 and helped what many thought were the lowly Seattle Seahawks clinch a playoff spot.

Smith signed a three year extension with the team and the team did draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, so he does have another pass catcher.

However, I think we’ll see Smith return to what he was before the 2022 season.

Javonte Williams

Javonte Williams blew out his knee early in the 2022 season and it’s currently unknown whether he’ll be ready for the start of the 2023 season.  The Denver Broncos signed Samaje Perine in free agency and apparently are sniffing around the possibility of signing Kareem Hunt.

I think if the Broncos were to sign Hunt or another RB, that would signal a lack in confidence that Williams could return to the lineup for week one.  Even if he does, there’s no guarantee that Williams will return to his former self.

Serious knee injuries will take some time to fully heal.  I don’t think the former Tarheel is going to bounce back to his normal tough running, tackle breaking ways.

He may not be himself until the 2024 season.

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