NFL Stars Possibly Facing their Last Big Chance

The NFL is a league that watches stars rise and fall faster than any other league. Some marquee players can struggle in one year and be left on the outside looking in the very next season. On the other hand, we see a number of promising stars break out of nowhere and become extremely relevant. Recent examples of the latter are Atlanta Falcons Miami Dolphins after a disappoint stint with the Washington Redskins. Here is a look at some of the marquee names that have to prove something this year or risk falling out of league relevancy. QB Matt Ryan and new Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassell. In terms of the former, we see a number of stars simply lose their spot in the league such as Edgerrin James, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals and Jason Taylor who has just resigned with the

Daunte Culpepper signed with the Detroit Lions in hopes of becoming a household name again but when the Lions drafted rookie Matthew Stafford, Culpepper once again took a back seat. This could be his last chance to remain a starter and although it hasn’t looked good recently, he is still young and could have a few solid years left in front of him. If Culpepper can push Stafford aside and hold off the first round draft pick Stafford, he could become the next Kurt Warner. One thing going for him is his excellent ratio of 146 touchdowns to 100 interceptions.

Byron Leftwich has seen his stock plummet over the past few years and faces a much more uphill battle than Culpepper. Leftwich has not produced the same veteran numbers as Culpepper, and has not proven himself over an entire season yet. He has never finished a full season and has recently only played in 8 games over the course of two season. If Leftwich cannot beat out the competition and become the starting quarterback this year, it could be his last in the NFL.

As recently as 2006, Laurence Maroney became known as a very solid running back that looked headed for a very long and impressive career. He has the power to surge out of the backfield and has great hands when it comes to catching the ball. Since then however, Maroney has only started in 9 games. The Patriots do not seem as confident in his abilities as they went out and signed veteran Fred Taylor to handle most of the starting duties. This could be Maroney's last chance and he needs to remain healthy and contribute or his stock will continue to fall.

Jamal Lewis will only turn 30 this summer, but it seems like he has been around for decades. He has continued to be consistent as he once again produced 1,000 rushing yards last season and continues to average over 4 yards per carry. The problem last year was that Lewis only managed four touchdowns. He needs to step up and produce this year under new coach Eric Mangini, or he could be left on the outside looking in.