Every season is an opportunity for NFL players to make their mark on the league and translate that into major paydays. The problem is, everyone around you wants to eat your lunch. Nothing is safe in this league; you have to constantly prove yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But some will enter the 2023 NFL season with their futures more on the fence than others. Maybe it\u2019s because they haven\u2019t produced like they\u2019ve been paid lately, or perhaps it\u2019s due to off-field activities affecting on-field availability. Context is always important, but the name of the game remains objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All players in the NFL have a shelf life, within the league itself and often with the team that currently pays them. Some last longer than others, but time is the ultimate consumer. It could be a few weeks, it could be a couple of decades, but each player has make-or-break periods that determine their longevity. Some pass and elongate life in the NFL, and others wilt away. For these five players with the most to prove and plenty to lose, 2023 is that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the completion of his third-straight season with at least seven receiving touchdowns, the Atlanta Falcons exercised the fifth-year option<\/a> on Calvin Ridley\u2019s contract, confirming the wide receiver would make $11.1 million for the 2022 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About six months later, Ridley announced he was stepping away from football to focus on his \u201cmental wellbeing<\/a>.\u201d Another six months on, and the NFL suspended the player indefinitely for placing bets on the league\u2019s games from the season before. At least the Falcons could take some solace in avoiding that $11.1 million bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n