Predicting Players Who Will Bounce Back in 2023
PSF - Every NFL season consists of highs and lows. Each year there are players who have break-out seasons that help their teams contribute to a successful campaign. Sadly, this cannot be said about every player. In this article, I plan on deep diving into a few players I think will have bounce-back seasons compared to their 2022 season. The criteria for this list will consist of players who suffered injuries, disappointing seasons, and even off-the-field issues.
Breece Hall: Running Back, New York Jets
Photo by: Ed Mullholland-USA TODAY Sports
The pre-draft hype for Hall was already brewing prior to the 2022 NFL season. Many thought he could be an impact player for the New York Jets, he was supposed to be a great one-two punch next to second-year running back Michael Cater. Not only did he live up to expectations, he exceeded them as well. In only his first year in the NFL, Hall averaged six yards per carry, totaled 463 yards on the ground, 218 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. Hall did this all in only seven games, his season was sadly cut short in week seven after he tore his ACL. With the Jets now adding star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the organization is expecting the team to take another step in 2023. If Hall can stay healthy, I expect him to make a run at the comeback player of the year while helping the Jets make their first playoff appearance since 2010.
Rusell Wilson: Quarterback, Denver Broncos
Photo by: Troy Renck/Denver7
Let Russ cook? He ended up doing the opposite in 2022. Wilson was acquired in a blockbuster trade in the 2022 offseason, he was brought into Denver to finally give the organization a competent quarterback after years of failed draft prospects. As stated above, Wilson did not live up to expectations. In 15 games, Wilson had the worst season of his career. He only threw for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. As expected when looking at these stats, Denver did not win much either, the team went 5-12 and finished last in the AFC West. To make matters worse, Wilson is now 34 years old and is set to make $49 million per year until 2028. Safe to say, Denver is stuck with him for a long time. There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. Denver has hired Sean Payton to coach the team. Going into the season, he has stated numerous times that his focus is to help the team win while also helping Wilson get back to his elite level of play. I think Wilson will bounce back from his 2022 campaign with help from Payton. I personally don’t see how a quarterback who has been as consistent as Wilson has been will continue to struggle this badly. This is definitely one of the major headlines to look out for in this upcoming season.
Calvin Ridley: Wide Receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars
Photo by: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Behind the scenes in 2021, Calvin Ridley was betting on NFL games during the 2021 season. Eventually, Ridley was caught, resulting in him being suspended for the entire 2022. In the middle of the NFL season right before the trade deadline, Ridley was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though he couldn’t help Jacksonville in 2022, he is expected to play at the beginning of 2023. This is the player that I can see having the most impactful bounce-back season in 2023 compared to the other two on this list. The reason I see Ridley making such an impact is due to Trevor Lawarance’s breakout season in 2022. Lawrence made huge strides in his game and cemented himself as a top 10 quarterback. Now with Ridley being added to an above-average receiving corp as the number one receiver, I only see Jacksonville, Ridley, and Lawrence improving. I’m very excited to see how Ridley bounces back, I expect him to be a day-one impact player for the Jags.
