NFL players going into decline in 2022

Brockers showed a clear decline in his first season with the Lions, recording only one sack and one quarterback hit in 16 games. The 31-year-old hopes to have more productive this season with more edge rush help.

The Ravens brought back Campbell in the offseason despite clear signs of decline in his age 35 season. His steak of four consecutive Pro Bowls was halted after recording only 1.5 sacks and 49 tackles in 15 games.

Clark has somehow made three consecutive Pro Bowls, but the production has been lacking over the last two seasons. He had only 4.5 sacks and 22 tackles in 14 regular season games last year as he enters his age 29 season.

The Cowboys moved on from Cooper after he showed signs of decline last season. Despite a healthy Dak Prescott, Cooper failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in his career and has failed to reach 13 yards per catch in back-to-back years.

Cox failed to make the Pro Bowl last year for the first time since 2014. He recorded only 3.5 sacks and 35 tackles in his age 31 season.

Gilmore won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, but injuries have plagued him over the last two years. He played only eight games in Carolina last year, but still made the Pro Bowl. He’s hoping for a rebound season with the Colts.

After signing a lucrative contract with the Giants last year, Golladay was almost nowhere to be found. The former Lions star had only 521 yards in 14 games, and has now struggled in consecutive seasons.

Graham played only two games last year due to injury, but there were signs of decline for him even before the injury. He posted almost no notable stats when he did play after making the Pro Bowl in 2020.

Hayward is reaching journeyman status, now with his third team in three years. He had a rough time in coverage for the Raiders last season, but will try to add veteran leadership to the Falcons secondary.

Hicks hopes to revive his career with a contender after joining the Bucs in the offseason. He’s been plagued by injuries in two of the last three seasons with the Bears.

Hopkins is set to miss the start of the season due to a suspension, but there were signs of decline last year. He played only 10 games while plagued by injuries, averaging fewer than 60 yards per game.

There were questions about whether Hudson would return in 2022 after missing time to injury and illness last year. The three-time Pro Bowler did struggle at times when he did play, and is now entering his age 33 season.

A first-round pick in 2019, Jacobs struggled last season with only 58 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry. Now in a walk year, Jacobs could lose playing time with a new coaching staff in Las Vegas.

There were high hopes for Jones in Tennessee last year, but he was chronically injured for the second consecutive season. The seven-time Pro Bowler hopes to get on track on a deep Bucs roster this season.

Kamara has made the Pro Bowl in all five seasons of his career, but he wasn’t as elusive last year with only 3.7 yards per carry. There’s hope Kamara will find more holes with a more productive passing offense, but he faces the possibility of a suspension after an off-field incident.

Lawrence made two straight Pro Bowls in 2017-2018, but really hasn’t been the same since then. He played only seven games due to injury last year, recording three sacks.

Mathieu still played at a high level with the Chiefs last season, making his third career Pro Bowl. However, there were worries that he lost a step, and the team let him walk in free agency at age 30.

As fantasy football managers can attest, injuries have ruined McCaffrey’s last two seasons. His yards per carry average has been well down when he has played after accumulating nearly 2,400 yards from scrimmage in 2019.

Miller won his second Super Bowl last year after a trade to the Rams, but his production in recent seasons hasn’t quite been elite. After missing all of 2020 to injury, he had 9.5 sacks last season. Buffalo should still expect a productive player after giving Miller a massive contract, but teams no longer have to gameplan for him.

At his best, Peterson was a playmaker both as a cornerback and returner. Now he is just trying to keep up with wideouts on the other side of the ball, struggling in Minnesota last season with only one pick in 13 games at age 31.

Rudolph was a highly productive Red Zone target in Minnesota for many years, but the decline has hit sharply over the last two seasons. He scored only one in each of those years, and slots in as Tampa Bay’s second tight end this year.

Ryan was often running for his life last season behind a poor offensive line in Atlanta, so a change of scenery is a welcome sight at age 37. His arm strength and accuracy clearly aren’t what they were when he won an NFL MVP in 2016, though Ryan is out to prove he has something left.

Smith remains a difference maker on the left side of the Cowboys offensive line, but he’s had trouble staying on the field. He last played an entire season in 2015, and has played a total of 13 regular season games over the last two years. Despite the struggles, Smith did make his eighth Pro Bowl last year.

Leg injuries have plagued Thielen recently, as he’s played second fiddle to young superstar Justin Jefferson. Over 13 games last season, Thielen had only 726 yards but did make himself known in the Red Zone with 10 touchdowns.

Watt is a surefire Hall of Famer with three Defensive Player of the Year awards, but staying on the field has been a challenging task for him in recent seasons. He’s failed to play more than eight games in fourth of the last six years, including only seven games last year with Arizona. The Cardinals are counting on Watt at age 33, but he had only one sack last season.