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Every season, a different set of players face a crossroads or have something to prove for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are related to age, contract or salary cap concerns, injury, poor performance or off-the-field issues. 

Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley is a prime example of capitalizing when there's something to prove. Stanley was arguably the NFL's best offensive tackle when he parlayed a 2019 first-team All-Pro campaign into a five-year, $98.75 million contract extension worth up to $100 million through incentives with the Baltimore Ravens during the middle of the 2020 season. 

Injuries largely derailed Stanley's career after he signed that contract. Stanley had only played 26 of a possible 61 regular-season games since signing, heading into the 2024 season. Thirteen of the 26 were in 2023 when Stanley was a shadow of his former self. He allowed five sacks and committed a career-high 11 penalties while dealing with a right knee injury that limited his mobility and strength. 

Stanley took a pay cut after the 2023 season where his 2024 compensation was reduced to $7.5 million from $15 million and the $20 million he was scheduled to make in 2025 was converted into a voiding/dummy contract year. Ten million of incentives based on offensive playtime and honors (Pro Bowl and All-NFL) were added so Stanley could make a maximum of $17.5 million.

Completely healthy for the first time since the 2019, Stanley had a Pro Bowl-caliber 2024 season while being on the field for 98.11% of the Baltimore's offensive snaps. Stanley took less money to remain with the Ravens in March on a three-year, $60 million contract containing $44 million fully guaranteed.

Fifteen players who aren't quarterbacks to keep an eye on during the 2025 season, fitting into one of those categories, are below.

Joey Bosa, EDGE, Bills

Bosa had the NFL's second largest 2025 salary cap number for a non-quarterback at $36,471,668 before the Los Angeles Chargers released him in March. The four-time original ballot Pro Bowler has had trouble staying on the field in recent years. The 14 games Bosa played in 2024 were his most since the 2021 season. Bosa's five sacks were his fewest for a season in which he has played at least 12 games. He quickly signed a one-year, $12.61 million worth up to $15.61 million with Bills after he was released.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Seahawks

Ankle and hamstring injuries and 2023 fifth-round pick Puka Nacua's emergence made the Rams comfortable moving on from Kupp. The Rams released Kupp in March after a trade market never materialized. He had two years worth $39.58 million remaining on his contract. Kupp, who turned 32 in June, hadn't had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2021 when he won the receiving triple crown. 

The Rams clearly didn't have an issue paying an older wide receiver. Davante Adams, who will be 33 in late December, was signed to a two-year, $44 million contract with $26 million fully guaranteed. Kupp gets to face the Rams twice a season because he stayed in the NFC West. He signed a three-year, $45 million deal with $26.5 million in guarantees a few days after the Rams released him.

Nick Chubb, RB, Texans

Chubb came back from a devastating 2023 left knee injury with the Cleveland Browns in which he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus seven weeks into the 2024 season. He didn't resemble the player who had been in the best NFL running back conversation prior to getting hurt. Chubb had 332 yards on 102 carries with three touchdowns in eight games for the Browns before a breaking his left foot. His 3.3 yards from carry were well below the 5.3 he had been averaging for his career.

Chubb's free agent market was soft. He didn't sign a one-year, $2.5 million deal worth up to $5 million with the Texans until June. Chubb is expected to be Houston's primary ball carrier while Joe Mixon is out with a foot injury. Texans general manager Nick Caserio has been noncommittal on Mixon's availability for this season.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Patriots

It was evident that Nico Collins was the Houston Texans' primary receiving option before Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last October. Nonetheless, Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. 

The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $63 million contract worth a maximum of $69 million through incentives with the Patriots in March a couple of weeks into free agency. The deal has $26 million in guarantees where $20 million was fully guaranteed at signing.

The Patriots did a good job of protecting themselves in case there are lingering effects from Diggs knee injury. Diggs is scheduled to make $18.3 million this year but $3.4 million is in per-game roster bonuses where he gets $200,000 for each game he is active. The lowest statistical thresholds for Diggs' $4.5 million in 2025 incentives are 70 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving. 

If Diggs doesn't earn any of the incentives, he probably won't get a second year with the Patriots. He makes $22.5 million in 2026. Only $1.7 million of Diggs' $20.6 million 2026 base salary was fully guaranteed at signing. An additional $6 million that is guaranteed for injury (excludes the pre-existing right knee injury) becomes fully guaranteed next March 13 on the third day of the 2026 league year.

Marshon Lattimore, CB, Commanders

A surprising 7-2 start last season prompted the Commanders to address a glaring weakness at cornerback at the trade deadline as Washington dealt 2025 third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick. A hamstring injury sidelined Lattimore for the first four games after the trade. Lattimore, who was still bothered by his hamstring, had rough outings against A.J. Brown and Mike Evans in the playoffs when the Commanders faced the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The expectation is for a healthy Lattimore to regain the form that led to four Pro Bowl berths in eight NFL seasons. If that doesn't happen, the Commanders could start regretting the trade. 

Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens

Andrews had a 2024 playoffs he would like to forget. He had two key mistakes in Baltimore's 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round: a fumble that led to a field goal to give Buffalo an eight-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and the drop of a game-tying two-point conversion with less than two minutes left to play. 

The Ravens seem to have a succession plan in place at tight end with Isaiah Likely, who was a 2022 fourth-round pick. Likely signing a deal comparable to the four-year, $56 million extension, averaging $14 million per year, Andrews received in 2021 to remain in Baltimore wouldn't be surprising. Andrews, who turns 30 on Sept. 6 and is in a contract year, is probably auditioning for his next team this season since it's hard to envision the Ravens making a significant investment in two tight ends in 2026.

Haason Reddick, EDGE, Buccaneers

Reddick's 2024 season was derailed by an ill-convinced 90-day holdout that ended during the latter part of October. The New York Jets had acquired Reddick, who was unhappy with his contract, from the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2026 third-round pick in the offseason. The two-time Pro Bowler had been one of the NFL's best pass rushers in recent years prior to his holdout. Reddick was coming off four straight seasons with double-digit sacks, including a career-high 16 in 2022. 

That Reddick didn't show up in 2024. He had one sack in the 10 games he played after ending his holdout. NFL teams didn't give him a mulligan for his 2024 performance as a big payday in free agency eluded him. Reddick, who turns 31 in September, got a one-year, $14 million contract where $12 million was fully guaranteed from the Buccaneers. To have any chance of changing his financial fortunes, Reddick will have to demonstrate that 2024 was an anomaly.

L'Jarius Sneed, CB, Titans

Sneed didn't resemble the shutdown cornerback he was in 2023 during the five games he played last season before going on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. The Titans acquired Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs, who had designated him as a franchise player, in March 2024 for a 2025 third-round pick with the teams also swapping 2024 seventh-round picks. Sneed signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract, averaging $19.1 million per year with $55 million in guarantees, in the process. Out of the $55 million, $44 million was fully guaranteed at signing. If Sneed doesn't return to form, the Titans would pick up nearly $12 million in 2026 salary cap space by exiting the deal.

Deebo Samuel, WR, Commanders

The handwriting was on the wall for Samuel with the San Francisco 49ers because wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was selected 31st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brandon Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension shortly before the regular season started and Jauan Jennings took a big step forward. The Commanders acquired Samuel for a 2025 fifth-round pick in March.

Samuel's last highly productive season was in 2021 when he had career highs of 77 receptions for 1,405 yards receiving and 14 total touchdowns. He also had 365 yards on the ground. Samuel is in the final year of a three-year, $71.55 million extension, averaging $23.85 million per year, he signed in 2022 following his first-team All-Pro season. 

In the three seasons since signing the deal, Samuel has averaged just under 56 catches, a little more than 731 yards receiving and seven total touchdowns. Samuel reportedly had an impressive training camp for the Commanders. It will need to carry over to the regular season for Samuel, who turns 30 in January, to avoid a pay cut on his next contract.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles

Goedert had been the subject of trade rumors prior to the 2025 NFL Draft. His inability to remain in the lineup had become an issue for the Eagles. Goedert has missed 17 games since signing a four-year, $57 million extension, averaging $14.25 million per year, in 2021. He had his worst production last season since he was a rookie in 2018 by catching 42 passes for 496 yards with two touchdowns in 10 games. 

In early May a few days after the draft, Goedert took a $4.25 million pay cut to $10 million in order to remain in Philadelphia for the final year of his contract. The Eagles will have $23,693,640 of dead money if Goedert, who is 30, hits the open market in 2026. It remains to be seen whether a new deal will be worked out before Goedert's 2026 through 2029 contract years void Feb. 16 with a healthy 2025 season.

Charvarius Ward, CB, Colts

The 2024 season was a challenging one for Ward personally and professionally. He played under the most unfortunate circumstances. His 23-month-old daughter, who was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect that required surgery, died last October.

Ward took a big step back from 2023 when he earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors for the first time. He didn't have any interceptions and seven passes defended in 12 games last season. The passer rating for opposing quarterbacks when targeting Ward was 119.1, according to Pro Football Focus.

Ward recently admitted that he eventually checked out last season because of his personal tragedy and the lack of interest from the 49ers in giving him the contract extension he desired. Instead the 49ers chose to sign fellow cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who was also in a contract year to a five-year, $88.884 million extension with $43,268,889 of guarantees last November.

Ward is getting a fresh start from the Colts after signing a three-year, $54 million contract with $34.98 million in guarantees, of which $27 million was fully guaranteed at signing as an unrestricted free agent. Incentives make the deal worth as much as $60 million. The Colts are counting on Ward being more like he was in 2023 when he tied for second in the NFL among cornerbacks with five interceptions, had a league-leading 23 passes defended and the passer rating for opposing quarterbacks was 63.7 when targeting him.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons

After Pitts had 68 receptions and 1,026 yards receiving in a Pro Bowl season as a rookie, some thought he was going to revolutionize the tight end position. It isn't happening. Pitts hasn't come close to duplicating his 2021 production. There's a better chance of Pitts, who is scheduled to play the 2025 season under a $10.878 million fifth-year option, being traded than signing a contract extension.

Bryce Huff, EDGE, 49ers

The Eagles signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal worth a maximum of $57.1 million thanks to incentives and salary escalators rather than address a disgruntled Reddick's contract. Huff was a major disappointment before having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist 10 games into the season. In those 10 games, he had 2.5 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures, according to PFF. He was a nonfactor after his return in Week 17 and a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LIX.

Huff was dealt to the 49ers for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick in June. He reunites with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was his coach with the New York Jets in 2023 when he had a career-high 10 sacks and 67 quarterback pressures.

Jawaan Taylor, OT, Chiefs

Taylor was surprisingly given a four-year, $80 million contract with $60 million in guarantees, of which $40 million was fully guaranteed at signing, in 2023 free agency. He hasn't come close to living up to his contract. The Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore, who was a swing tackle for the 49ers for the last four years while on his rookie contract, to a two-year, $30 million contract, averaging $15 million per year as an unrestricted free agent in March. That's Moore's likely role again because 2025 first-round pick Josh Simmons appears to be Kansas City's long-term solution at left tackle. Taylor's days in Kansas City will surely be numbered with another disappointing season since his replacement, Moore, is already on the roster. 

Jaelen Phillips, EDGE, Dolphins 

Phillips had 6.5 sacks in the eight games he had played in 2023 when a right Achilles tear ended his season. He was bitten by the injury bug again in 2024. Phillips tore his right ACL four games into the season. Fortunately for Phillips, a 2021 first-round pick, he wasn't hitting the open market immediately after two straight injury-plagued seasons. The Achilles injury didn't deter the Dolphins from picking up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option for 2025 worth $13.251 million before the May 2, 2024 deadline.