Many of the NFL's best players see their prime years wasted on bad teams. Davante Adams, Bobby Okereke, and DeAndre Hopkins, to name a few. There are no shortage of players in these situations, so here are the 8 great NFL players who are stuck on bad teams:
Davante Adams:
Every single recent list of players stuck on bad teams on the Internet includes Davante Adams, and this one is no different. Davante Adams is wasting his prime seasons on a mediocre team with a revolving door at quarterback. The Raiders' ambiguous quarterback situation is also hurting Adams's production, as catching passes from Jimmy Garapollo and Aidan O'Connell is not the same as Aaron Rodgers. Davante Adams has recently expressed frustration with the Raiders' lack of a winning culture, and both parties would benefit from a trade.
Justin Herbert:
Justin Herbert has proved himself to be one of the NFL's best quarterbacks since his rookie season in 2020. But unlike many of the best NFL quarterbacks, Justin Herbert does not play on a Super Bowl contending team. Herbert instead plays for an uncompetitive Chargers team lacking a clear future or vision. Unfortunately, Herbert signed a 5-year $262 million contract to play for the Chargers during the 2023 offseason, so he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Bobby Okereke:
Bobby Okereke is one of the NFL's best linebackers but plays for a Giants' team that isn't competitive and probably won't be for a while. The Giants signed the former Colts' linebacker in 2023 free agency, which has proved a high-yielding investment, with Okereke recording a career-best 149 tackles, ten passes defended, and four forced fumbles during the 2023 season. Although the Giants' 6-11 2023 season was far from competitive, they would get a sizeable return if they traded Bobby Okereke this offseason.
Trey McBride:
After Cardinals' tight end Zach Ertz suffered a quadriceps injury, to say that backup tight end Trey McBride capitalized on the opportunity would be an understatement. Trey McBride has quickly become one of the NFL's elite tight ends, ranking 7th in receiving yards of all tight ends while only starting 11 games. McBride's production during the latter half of this 2023 season has been nothing short of incredible, but the overall performance of his team has been far from it. Whether Trey McBride stays in Arizona depends on the Cardinals' situation at the end of the 2024 season.
Frankie Luvu:
The main problems with the Panthers currently lie on the offensive side of the ball, but the prime years of linebacker Frankie Luvu are nevertheless being wasted on a bottom-feeding Panthers team. The former Jets' linebacker leads his team with 125 tackles and 5.5 sacks for the 2023 season. Luvu's production has improved considerably since the Panthers signed him in 2022, so Carolina could get a substantial return on their star linebacker.
Trent Brown:
The Patriots offense is the worst in the NFL, but don't their star offensive tackle, Trent Brown. The veteran O-lineman has allowed just three sacks on 579 offensive snaps this season for a PFF grade of 80.3. Brown was a major cornerstone of the Patriots during the later Brady years but hasn't endured much winning since then. At the age of 30, Trent Brown should be traded elsewhere to get the Pats more draft picks and spend his veteran seasons in Super Bowl contention.
DeAndre Hopkins:
You would think that a veteran receiver like DeAndre Hopkins would take a pay cut to play for a contending team, but he made a puzzling move in 2023 free agency by signing with the Titans. Not sure why DeAndre Hopkins signed with a rebuilding team with a rookie quarterback, but he has put up good numbers, his best since 2020. Hopkins also gets plenty of targets, as the Titans have no other reliable pass catchers outside of their veteran wideout.
Benjamin St. Juste:
Washington's star cornerback Benjamin St. Juste is an outlier on an otherwise subpar Commanders roster, especially the defense. St. Juste is one of the best corners the NFL has to offer, with 17 passes defended, one interception, and two forced fumbles on the season. When St. Juste reaches free agency after the 2024 season, some teams will pay him a hefty amount of dough. Whether that team is the Commanders, only time will tell.
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