Five NFL players with the most to prove in 2025 season: Cowboys' Dak Prescott among those at a crossroads

Plus, some other quarterbacks have a lot to gain ... or lose

Just like that, the 2025 NFL season is around the corner. Free agency is in the rear view. The draft is complete. Even the full 272-game schedule reveal is in the books. So what's left besides the offseason lead-up to the fall, complete with spring workouts, minicamp practices and summer training camps?

Storylines, of course! Just because rosters are mostly set, games are officially scheduled and league-wide expectations are starting to crystallize doesn't mean we're short on drama. And just because there's a tinge of optimism running through just about every team during the offseason doesn't mean big names aren't under pressure to perform in 2025. Things change quickly, remember, and results are the driving factor.

So which players have the most to gain -- or lose -- when the games actually begin? Which ones figure to be under more scrutiny, with the chance to seize bigger spotlights, when they finally take the field?

Here's an early look at five NFL figures with the most to prove during the 2025 season, including a slew of franchise -- and hopeful franchise -- quarterbacks:

5. Dak Prescott

Is Prescott a safer bet as a starting quarterback than, say, Michael Penix Jr. with the Atlanta Falcons? Sure. That doesn't mean he isn't under worlds of pressure to justify the Dallas Cowboys' sudden vault back into a national spotlight. Can he stay healthy after missing extensive time in three of his last five seasons? Can he keep George Pickens happy opposite CeeDee Lamb? Can he finally push Dallas deep into the playoffs under a new coach in Brian Schottenheimer? The list goes on for such an accomplished veteran.

4. J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings essentially let Kirk Cousins walk in 2024 so they could prioritize a young arm like McCarthy. Then they let Sam Darnold walk this March to double down on McCarthy's promise, despite multiple knee surgeries robbing the Michigan product of any real snaps as a rookie. J.J.'s setup is undeniably spicy, making the Vikings a candidate to shake up the NFC North once more. That'll still require the first-time starter enduring something of a brutal schedule to meet 2024-inflated expectations.

3. Bryce Young

The former No. 1 overall draft pick showcased much-needed swagger to close his second season, but in doing so, what exactly did he prove? That he deserved at least one more year as the unchallenged starter? That he's actually a passable rather than pitiful NFL passer? Young's poise, when in peak form, is genuinely impressive. Still, as he embarks on Year 3, the ex-Alabama star probably needs another leap or two to consistently elevate a Carolina Panthers offense that's still a pretty big projection of its own.

2. Anthony Richardson

There's a very strong case to be made that Richardson has already shown us who he is: an incredibly gifted but frustratingly erratic quarterback best suited for more time on the bench, perfecting his craft. With the clock suddenly ticking in Indianapolis, where the Colts issued decent money to Daniel Jones as summer competition, Richardson at least has one more chance to translate his supersized athleticism into meaningful Sunday results. He only turns 23 this month, but it may be now or never in blue.

1. Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence is in the peculiar position of having already secured a handsome financial commitment from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who gave him $275 million (!) last offseason, while potentially playing for his job under a new coach in Liam Coen. Hyperbolic? Consider the former No. 1 pick is already on his third coach, with almost as many career turnovers (68) as touchdown passes (69), entering Year 5 of a much-hyped career. The Jaguars need him not only to be more available -- he's played hurt and/or missed time for much of the last two years -- but more savvy to finally capitalize on a weak division. At least he now has the benefit of an ultra-gifted pass catching duo, with Travis Hunter joining Brian Thomas Jr. out wide.