In sports, everyone’s always talking about the guys at the top. Intrigue and drama are built on the backs of stakes and reputation.
Josh Allen is the punching bag of promise. Lamar Jackson is the scapegoat of shortfalls. George Pickens is contributing towards a contract.
Talk shows, podcasts and networks have already placed mountains of expectations on those superstars. But what about the ones at the bottom?
Not the guys who are struggling to make the 53–man — those Hard Knocks celebrities have their entire careers hanging in the balance week after week.
The other “bottom” are the ones who have already peaked. The players whose teams are taking a flyer on them to see if they still have any juice. The ones who have the least to lose because they’ve already lost, or gained, enough.
Most of these players already have generational wealth and memories to last a lifetime. Yet still, the only direction they have left to go is up.
These are the eight NFL players with the least to lose in 2026:
8. Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs just signed a contract with the Commanders, making Washington his fourth team in as many years and the winner of the most-desperate-for-receiver-help award.
Diggs is still productive; he eclipsed 1,000 yards for New England last season, and was on pace to do the same in Houston the year prior before tearing his ACL.
But with his now-extensive off-the-field issues, he’s developed into more of a cautionary tale than a sought-after asset.
If Diggs produces again, this time for the Commanders, it won’t be a shock. But neither will him flaming out, blowing up the locker room, or fading into the long night of irrelevancy.
This is Diggs’ 12th season. He’ll turn 33 this year. He already played out his version of a Rams-Odell Beckham run. By this point, no one would bat much of an eye if the problem-player the Commanders signed on Aug. 5 ends up out of the league by next summer.
If that happens, Diggs himself will probably end up just fine too. He’s got boats, girls and pink substances waiting for him.
7. Deebo Samuel
How does one place expectations on a player who was a key piece of a Super Bowl team, had a falling out with said team, was shipped out for a fifth-round pick, and then re-signed on a one-year deal 12 months later?
Deebo Samuel returns to the Bay Area as a desperate effort by the 49ers — whose GM John is Lynch-pinning this “Super Bowl window” together with duct tape — to make up for their lack of receiver depth (they came in second in the most-desperate-for-receiver-help award voting). Ricky Pearsall has already lost his entire season to injury, which vaults Samuel right next to Christian Kirk at second on the depth chart.
If Deebo doesn’t produce, that’s okay because he’s already lost the faith of 49ers fans before. He is simply a last-ditch effort to try and give San Francisco one more shot at competing.
6. Alvin Kamara
Alvin Kamara is already a Saints Hall of Famer. Though the franchise’s all-time leading rusher hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020, he’s still kicking with the team that drafted him.
New Orleans and Kamara were dealing with contract disputes during this past offseason, but the two parties ultimately came to a team-friendly agreement so he could stay a Saint. Now New Orleans can feature both the dwindling Kamara and the stout Travis Etienne in their backfield, with the latter likely to take over as the team’s first leading rusher not named Kamara since Mark Ingram in 2017.
Kamara only played 11 games last season, the least of his career. With less of a burden, a golden reputation, and a homie contract in his repertoire, there aren’t many people who would see a complete dud of a year from him as a major indictment, especially for a team that’s still on the rise like New Orleans. It might just be his time, and that’s okay if it is.
5. Malik Willis
The Dolphins aren’t just tanking — they’re skydiving. The plane they’re jumping out of might not have been a cross-country 747, more like a seaplane skipping over to Cuba, but they’ve gutted this franchise to its bare bones.
Miami’s one move that goes against the grain in this regard, however, is them signing Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract. Willis was a free agent that pundits thought would have many potential suitors. He caught a bust label in Tennessee, resurrected his career last season in Green Bay during Jordan Love’s absence, and the Dolphins paid him handsomely to lead them into this new era.
But that doesn’t mean expectations will be high this year. The Dolphins project as one of, if not the worst, teams in the NFL this season. Willis is stuck behind a dreadful offensive line throwing to nameless receivers. He could absolutely stink it up and Dolphins fans would be satisfied because their team is supposed to lose by design.
Maybe 2027 will be Willis’ time to prove himself again, but for now, 2026 is about just fitting in, learning the system and being serviceable enough so that the front office can make decisions on the offensive players around him.
4. Travis Kelce
A month ago, I was at a Chris Lake concert in Los Angeles. In the middle of the show, a large man grabbed the mic on stage belted out “EVERYBODY GET ON YOUR FEET” (everyone in the crowd was obviously standing), followed by a guttural yell during the ensuing beat drop. It took a moment to figure out who barged in so abruptly, but ultimately we deciphered that that man was Travis Kelce.
Why was Kelce there? No idea. But I can’t say I was completely shocked.
Not many NFL players have ever had as much success off the field as Kelce. Between he and his brother’s podcast, being Taylor Swift’s now-husband, and the various other side quests he indulges in, he leads a busy life.
That doesn’t mean he won’t have success on the football field this year; but it does mean that if this is finally the season where he fades into the limelight, it’s hard to think he’ll be too distraught.
3. Garrett Wilson
Poor Garrett Wilson. He is likely chomping at the bit to play any sort of meaningful football.
Will he this year? No.
Wilson will likely be playing hard in hopes that another team decides to trade for him midseason.
But there’s no reason for anyone to believe the Jets will be competitive this season. Wilson already got his bag last summer. He has no money to play for, a questionable-at-best QB throwing him the ball, and zero expectations to perform.
If he plays himself off the Jets, great. If he doesn’t, well, this is the only NFL life he’s ever known. There’s nowhere else to go but up.
2. Budda Baker
Budda Baker has played nine NFL seasons. He’s been a Cardinal for all of them.
In those nine years, he’s played in 129 of 139 possible games. He’s made the Pro Bowl eight times, been First-Team All-Pro twice and Second-Team All-Pro twice.
During that same time, the Cardinals are 54-94. They have made the playoffs once (lost 34-11), and have never won the division.
The mental fortitude it takes to not only not go insane, but stay with the Arizona Cardinals organization for that long deserves some sort of award. He’s taken on the spirit of Larry Fitzgerald in that regard, but at least Larry was gifted one Super Bowl run.
Baker has already given the Cardinals everything anyone should ever be expected to give the Cardinals. The team is going to suck again this year, but Baker will be another stoic leader of a young group.
He’s under contract for two more seasons, so he’ll probably want to perform well in that regard, but very few will judge him based on how this season goes.
1. Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is starting 2026 from the basement in basically every regard.
His image and brand can’t sink much lower — he’s made sure to tank that himself.
It’s pretty hard to judge Watson and what his expectations should be as a passer given that he’s played just 19 total games over the past SIX seasons. He’s coming off an Achilles injury which should obviously give him a little bit of leeway, but he was one of the worst QBs in the NFL before that two seasons ago.
Playing for the Browns also keeps the bar extremely low, but on top of that, the $230 million man is competing with Shedeur Sanders, who had plenty of his own challenges last year, this preseason.
That is the one single thing Watson could lose this year: the Browns’ starting QB job. There are probably 27 backup roles that carry more honor.
If he loses that before Week 1 even starts, he will have nothing.
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