Stars who will take a step back
By: Jake Rajala
The NFL witnesses many impressive performances go backward from season to season. I’m going to lay out five stars that will take a step back in 2026.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The secret to the Seahawks success on offense last season was offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Well, he is now the Las Vegas Raiders head coach. Kubiak knew how to press the right buttons to unlock Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Jaxon was NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. I believe he will take a step back from an All-Pro and be a Pro Bowler.
Jalen Hurts
I don’t love the Eagles decision to trade AJ Brown. Sure, they drafted Makai Lemon. I still see that as a downgrade. Hurts will also face a division that should have improved QB play. Jaxson Dart only played in 12 games last season and Jayden Daniels only played in seven games.
Baker Mayfield
Baker is having tough contract negotiations right now. It doesn’t help that his pal, Mike Evans, is out of Tampa. He’s a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Baker needs Jalen McMillan to step up his game. Bucky Irving needs to be more efficient in the run game, too. I wouldn’t be opposed to the Bucs signing Keenan Allen.
Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is another year over 30. 30 is also known as the age that RBs really start to decline. We witnessed Henry have fumble issues in the first half of last season. I believe teams will really start to focus on getting the ball out. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He missed it in 2025.
Christian McCaffrey
I recently mentioned Mike Evans. Well, he is a 49er. Christian McCaffrey should have a chunk of yardage go away to Evans. The injury to George Kittle last season helped CMAC get more involved. Similar to Henry, CMAC is 30+ years old. CMAC had 924 receiving yards last season. That was the second highest in his career.
Honorable Mention:
Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle had 1,076 rushing yards last season. He joined a Steelers team that already has Jaylen Warren. I can’t imagine that there’s room for him to unleash a 1k+ yard rushing season. The Panthers OL is also a Top-10 unit. I don’t quite believe the Steelers have a Top-10 OL.
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