Most disappointing offensive players from the 2023 NFL regular season

No one is safe from regression in the NFL, and the 2023 regular season was no different, as we saw several high-profile players fail to live up to their potential. Here are 10 players on offense who either entered the season with high expectations or started strong, only to end up underachieving.  

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Any momentum Lawrence and the Jaguars built during last season's unexpected run to the AFC divisional round has vanished now that they finished 1-5 to choke away their chance at another playoff appearance. Even though Lawrence dealt with multiple late-season injuries, he didn't take the third-year leap many expected after a Pro Bowl-caliber 2022 season. In 16 games, Lawrence completed 65.6% of his passes for 4,016 yards and 21 touchdowns, all worse than last season's figures, to go along with 21 turnovers, the third-most in the NFL.  

WR Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

Despite notching five 100-yard outings in his first six games, it can't be overlooked that Diggs hasn't been the same receiver since his brother Trevon posted that "14 Gotta get up outta" Buffalo. Over his final seven games, Diggs averaged 45 receiving yards per contest and found the end zone just once in that span. His 87-yard Week 18 performance provides some optimism, however, if the Bills can't make a deep playoff run, it wouldn't be surprising if Diggs requested a trade this offseason. 

QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers 

Although Young couldn't have ended up in a worse situation, he showed little promise to justify his status as last April's No. 1 overall draft pick. Young threw for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the 2-15 Panthers while ranking 29th among qualified passers in QBR (33.3). For comparison, Browns mid-season signing QB Joe Flacco threw 13 touchdown passes and had three more 300-yard passing games than Young despite playing just five games.

RB Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

The former first-rounder broke out last season, leading the league in rushing yards (1,653) on an extremely efficient pace (4.9 yards per carry) and scoring 12 touchdowns. However, the extensive workload clearly taxed Jacobs, as he rushed for 805 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games this season, averaging a career-worst 3.5 yards per attempt. In Week 2, Jacobs earned the unglamorous distinction of becoming the first reigning rushing champion to run for negative yards in a game since the AFL-NFL merger (-2), per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. 

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The 2022 MVP runner-up opened the first season of his five-year, $255 million extension nicely, but his second-half struggles and Philadelphia's disastrous 1-5 finish have raised doubts about the franchise's future under him. Although Hurts threw for 3,858 yards and 23 touchdowns, he was far more careless with the ball, ranking third in interceptions (15). While he became the first quarterback to rush for 15 touchdowns in a season, Hurts isn't the same threat with his legs as he was last year, seeing that he averaged 15.1 fewer yards on the ground in 2023.

RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

After ranking first in total touchdowns (38) and fourth in scrimmage yards (3,195) from 2021-22, Ekeler struggled mightily this season, which was a major reason why the Chargers were the 25th-ranked rushing offense. Ekeler averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, finishing with 628 rushing yards and six total touchdowns, along with 51 receptions for 436 yards. As an impending free agent, it seems likely that Ekeler will play his age-29 season elsewhere, and it's difficult to imagine him having a lead-back role. 

RB Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers further exacerbated their disastrous situation by spending heavily on mediocre talent in free agency last offseason, though no signing panned out worse than Sanders. The former Philadelphia Eagle signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal fresh after posting career-highs in rushing yards (1,269), touchdowns (11) and yards per carry (4.9) in 2022 but was drastically less productive this season. Sanders started just five games this season, setting career lows in rushing yards (432) and yards per carry (3.3) while only scoring one touchdown. 

QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants

While a neck injury and season-ending ACL tear limited Jones to six games this season, his performance when healthy proved why some considered him unworthy of the four-year $160 million extension he signed last offseason. Jones threw for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions this season while his backups outperformed him despite throwing to the same lackluster supporting cast. With New York holding the sixth overall pick in the 2024 draft, it'll be intriguing to see if the team selects a successor to Jones and cuts ties with the fifth-year signal-caller after next season. 

TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

It's not easy to find someone who enjoyed more success in terms of his personal life in 2023 than Kelce, but there's no denying that his on-field production fell short of expectations this season. Father time seems to be catching up to the 34-year-old, who finished 16 yards short of his eighth consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards and only had five touchdowns. Additionally, Kelce averaged his fewest yards per game since 2015 (65.6) and failed to score a touchdown over his final six games.