Nine NFL players, headlined by C.J. Stroud, looking to rebound from sophomore slump for 2025 season

These players could either bounce back or take another step back

Improvement isn't always linear. While some players may come out of the gate in their NFL careers looking like world-beaters, that doesn't mean we should assume that their stars will continue to rise without interruption.

That's made clear every NFL season, and it was again in 2024. We saw a great number of players post excellent debut campaigns who nonetheless either plateaued or took a step backward in their sophomore seasons -- a group that included one of the best rookies in recent memory.

But sophomore slumps aren't always the end of the world. There's always plenty of room for players to bounce back, or to perform at an even higher level than they did in their first season. With that in mind, we want to take a look at some players who impressed as rookies but didn't reach the level envisioned for them during their respective second seasons, as well as what might be some reasons for optimism heading into Year 3.

Stroud put together one of the best rookie seasons any quarterback has ever had. He averaged 8.2 yards per attempt, had the NFL's lowest interception rate, led the league in passing yards per game and finished sixth in Tru Media's expected points added (EPA) per dropback on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, making the Pro Bowl and finishing eighth in MVP voting, As the supporting cast atrophied around him, Stroud took a significant step backward in Year 2. He dropped down to 7.0 yards per attempt, saw his interception rate more than double, had his yards-per-game average dip by over 50 yards and checked in 28th in EPA per dropback, posting a negative average. A change in offensive coordinator from Bobby Slowik to Nick Caley, plus investments in the offensive line and receiving corps, provide some home for a bounceback in 2025.

After impressing in a complementary role alongside Derrick Henry in Year 1, Spears regressed in 2025. His yards-per-carry average dipped from 4.5 to 3.7, he ran for only 19 first downs and he fell further behind Tony Pollard than he did behind Henry. The underlying stats also looked worse for Spears, as he gained fewer yards after contact per carry, via Tru Media, saw significantly lower shares of his carries gain five or more yards and turn into explosive gains and a higher share turn into negative yards, and posted a lower broken-tackle rate. With an improved offensive line, Cam Ward under center and (supposedly) a more equal split of the carries, there's room for improvement in Year 3. 

Wicks posted elite per-route efficiency numbers as a rookie and seemed ticketed for a breakout. Reed finished second on the team in targets and first in receiving yards while also snagging 8 touchdowns in 2023. Both players struggled massively with drops this past season, with Reed spiking to an unfathomable 12% drop rate, per Pro-Football-Reference, and Wicks checking in right behind him at 11.8%. Wicks' per-route and per-target efficiency dropped steeply, while Reed earned targets at a much lower rate and saw his targets turn into first downs less often. Without Christian Watson but with Matthew Golden and Savion Williams now on board, we don't yet know how these guys will be used this upcoming season.

With Jameson Williams emerging as a bigger part of the offense, LaPorta saw his target rate and yards per route run take significant hits in 2024. (His total targets were cut by almost one third, from 120 down to 83.) He was still a reliable and efficient source of offense for the Lions, finishing with 60 grabs for 726 yards and 7 scores -- but those figures did represent a step backward from his 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. Encouragingly, LaPorta's per-catch and per-target efficiency actually improved in 2024, thanks in large part to his yards after catch per reception average jumping by 1.5 yards. He's a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands.

Kincaid struggled with injuries in 2024 but was also a much smaller part of the offense, and his receptions per game, yards per game, catch rate, yards per route and per target and success rate all fell while his drop rate nearly doubled. The Bills didn't add much in the way of pass-catcher help this offseason, so perhaps he can regain more of a foothold in the offense in 2025.

During his rookie season, Morris did an admirable job filling in for the injured Donovan Smith at left tackle. He wasn't great, but he wasn't a disaster. Things were different in Year 2. After Kingsley Suamataia got the first crack at the starting job on Patrick Mahomes' blind side, Morris stepped in and played quite poorly. So poorly, that Patrick Mahomes got frustrated enough to actually show his displeasure on the field. The Chiefs signed D.J. Humphries off the street and, when he got injured, they kicked All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the outside rather than turn back to Suamataia or Morris, who allowed 35 pressures and 5 sacks. He probably won't get a chance to redeem himself in 2025 after the team signed Jaylon Moore and drafted Josh Simmons. 

Banks was somewhat solid in coverage during his debut season with the Giants. He allowed a passer rating of 84.7 on throws in his direction, per Pro Football Focus, while yielding 1.35 yards per coverage snap and allowing four touchdowns against two interceptions. In 2024, he allowed more yards in coverage than the previous year despite being targeted 19 fewer times. He gave up a 124.7 passer rating while allowing six touchdowns and not picking off a pass, and he hemorrhaged 1.55 yards per coverage snap. Along with the rest of the Giants, he took a step backward. He'll have a chance to improve in 2025, but heading into the third year of his rookie contract, it might be his last chance to prove he has staying power.

Battle played well during his rookie season, finishing with 53 tackles, 23 run stops (according to PFF) and an 83.1 passer rating allowed on throws in his direction. He moved around the formation, splitting his time nearly equally between the box and the deep safety role. In 2025, his missed tackle rate skyrocketed from 8.1% to 12.7% and he totaled just 14 run stops. The Bengals' defense was a total disaster, and he was part of the problem. With a new defensive coordinator and a simplified scheme, the hope is that he can show some improvement heading into Year 3.