3 breakout candidates for the Dolphins offense in 2025
These sophomores will need to step up if the Dolphins hope to build a solid foundation moving forward in a season that could be classified as a soft reset:
LT Patrick Paul
Arguably the most pivotal of these second-year players is left tackle Patrick Paul. Tasked with replacing recently retired future Hall of Famer Terron Armstead, Paul's performance will be key in determining whether the Dolphins' offense resembles its elite 2023 version or repeats last season's struggles with consistency and production.
The offensive line has long been a point of scrutiny in Miami, even during Armstead's tenure, and Paul's development remains a major talking point entering 2025. Drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Dolphins envisioned him as Armstead's eventual successor. While Paul showed flashes of potential in relief appearances last season, the offensive line's success may hinge on the progress he made in the offseason.
In limited action as a rookie, Paul earned a 55.8 pass-blocking grade, a 41.0 run-blocking grade, and an overall score of 44.9, according to Pro Football Focus. Those numbers highlight the challenge ahead as he transitions into a full-time starting role.
RB Jaylen Wright
Another veteran no longer on the roster is running back Raheem Mostert, who is now with the Las Vegas Raiders. With De'Von Achane firmly established as Miami's lead back, his increased involvement in the passing game could create opportunities for second-year runner Jaylen Wright.
Although Wright had an inconsistent rookie campaign, he demonstrated flashes of promise. His most notable performance came in Week 5 against the New England Patriots when he stepped in for a concussed Achane. Wright carried the ball a season-high 13 times for 86 yards, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt. He is still seeking his first NFL touchdown, though.
Wright projects as more of an inside runner, complementing Achane's dynamic ability as a perimeter threat and receiving weapon. In a recent appearance on Up & Adams, Wright expressed confidence in his potential breakout, telling host Kay Adams: 'I just really feel like, and I know I can be a top RB in this league. I feel like just my skill set, my ability, and the system I'm in, it sets me up to be great.'
Ideally, Wright can fill a role similar to what Mostert held in 2023, allowing Achane to maintain his dual-threat effectiveness while preserving him from excessive inside carries. Wright's bigger frame could make him an ideal candidate for those tougher runs.
WR Malik Washington
After a slow start to his rookie season, Malik Washington emerged as a promising complementary weapon behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Debuting in Week 4, Washington made his initial impact on special teams but significantly boosted his offensive production over the final four games of the year.
Through his first 10 games, Washington averaged just 1.6 targets, one reception, and 5.4 receiving yards per contest. From Weeks 15 to 18, however, his numbers jumped to 5.0 targets, 4.0 catches, and 42.3 yards per game. A pivotal moment in Washington's season came in Week 14 against the New York Jets, when his 45-yard kickoff return late in the fourth quarter set up a game-tying field goal. The Dolphins eventually won in overtime, 32-26.
Washington finished his rookie campaign with 26 receptions for 223 yards and a 72.2 percent catch rate, which climbed to 80 percent over his final four appearances. He added five carries for 25 rushing yards, including his lone touchdown, an 18-yard run in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. As a returner, Washington averaged 30.7 yards per kickoff return and 7.4 yards per punt return, showcasing his versatility and value to Miami's special teams' unit.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 3 breakout candidates for the Dolphins offense in 2025
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New York Times
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Aaron Donald was one of the NFL's toughest players. A stalker left him living in fear
Retired Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald received a brief email in March from the Los Angeles-based head of people and culture for a healthcare technology startup. 'Hi Hubby!' Janelle Anwar wrote. 'Please save. Love you!' She attached a copy of her annual performance review, which was filled with glowing comments from the company's chief executive officer. Advertisement What appeared to be a routine email from a significant other was part of something much darker. Donald is not Anwar's husband. The two have never even met. For years, she has sent him increasingly unsettling emails, chats and voice memos in addition to repeated phone calls, according to court records. She tracked down his brother, sending him numerous emails, and attempted to have packages and balloons delivered to Donald's children. She traveled to Pittsburgh for his football camp, where she claimed to have encountered his daughter. Even though Donald is married, Anwar filed two baseless divorce petitions, seeking millions of dollars. Two weeks before the emailed performance review, Anwar sent a series of Google Chat messages that Donald took as threats against his 3-year-old son: 'So make sure you pay for (him) to live … Cause that's what it will be … You will have to pay for his life now and everyone will get a cut …' Donald wrote in a declaration filed with an application for a restraining order in April: 'I am fearful for my safety and the safety of my wife and children, and the safety of my brother.' Though most stalking victims are women, the issue remains deeply problematic for all athletes. Donald is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant defenders in NFL history, a 6-foot-1, 280-pound lineman known for his strength and toughness. In 10 seasons, he missed only nine regular-season games. But five years of intensifying harassment from Anwar left Donald exasperated, uncertain and afraid. His ordeal provides an unusually detailed look inside the pervasive and prolonged toll that can come from being targeted by a fixated stranger. 'One of the things that a lot of stalking survivors talk about, famous or otherwise, is the constant state of worry they had about what the person may or may not do, where they may or may not show up,' said Carlos Cuevas, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University. 'The unpredictability is a big concern and … the content of what they're saying. Some of it might be just more uncomfortable and some of it can be straight-up scary.' During his playing days and into retirement, Donald has been active on social media, posting about vacations, birthday celebrations, playing basketball with his wife. While experts say social media can lead fixated strangers to believe they're connected to celebrities in a way they're not, it's unclear what role it played for Anwar. In a court filing, she said she had a 'virtual connection' with Donald, and acknowledged following him on social media since 2023. Advertisement Donald wrote in a court filing that threatening and harassing emails and calls from Anwar began in 2020. He blocked the addresses and phone numbers, but the messages continued, as Anwar used at least nine email addresses. Experts say public figure stalkers have often experienced some kind of significant setback like the death of a loved one or loss of a job to go along with a psychiatric disorder. They can fixate on a public figure through something as innocuous as the person signing an autograph or wearing a certain outfit to which a would-be stalker attaches a specific, personal meaning. 'The underlying mental health issues or personality issues have to be there already. Well-adjusted people don't do this, obviously,' retired FBI profiler Eugene Rugala said of strangers stalking public figures. 'They can have a true belief that they're in some kind of relationship and they want to walk into the sunset with the individual. That, to me, is the ultimate endgame.' Anwar joined a digital health company as vice president of people operations in 2021. The 48-year-old's biography touted her 'professional brand values of accountability, communication, engagement, and process …' She joined her most recent company, a healthcare technology startup, in November 2023. Former colleagues didn't recall her mentioning Donald in workplace conversations. That fall, Anwar wrote in a court filing, she attended several football games. Her pursuit of Donald expanded, too. A delivery from a local florist for Donald's daughter arrived at the family's former home the day before the Rams played the Seattle Seahawks in November 2023. Nine blue, gold and pink balloons, three confetti balloons and a large mylar dolphin. The invoice instructed the driver to 'Ask for Aaron Donald at gate.' The same day, a stack of Amazon packages for the daughter and one of Donald's sons were delivered. More packages for the daughter and son appeared a week later. Advertisement All of it came from Anwar. A month later, Anwar smiled and clasped her hands in her lap as she sat in the front row of her company's staff picture. She looked like just another employee. Two weeks before Donald announced his retirement from the Rams in March 2024, another package from Anwar arrived at his former home. The following month, he received $5 from her on Zelle with a brief message: 'I love you.' A series of unusual posts appeared a few weeks later on a Twitter account with the same 'Red Barry' pseudonym Anwar used in several court filings and emails. The phrasing, details and themes in posts mirrored her messages. 'I love Aaron Donald.' 'I accidentally married Aaron Donald.' 'Aaron and I married confidentially in May of 2024.' Posts from the account, which has been deleted, mentioned the Los Angeles County community where Donald and his family moved in 2022, made baseless allegations about crimes involving celebrities, accused a high-profile figure of paying $1 million for a copy of her marriage certificate and claimed the author was 'telepathic and psychic.' One study found that 52 percent of celebrity stalkers it examined wanted a relationship — affectional or sexual — with the victim. Significant mental disorders were a problem for a majority of the subjects, too. 'They will start talking about their relationship with the person and, on the surface, you think, 'Well, they obviously do know this person,'' said J. Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist who consults on public figure stalking cases and works with law enforcement. 'And then it typically gets more and more bizarre and you realize … you are now within their delusion and they're communicating to you this psychotic belief.' While court documents don't offer an underlying motivation for Anwar's alleged behavior, they show increasingly direct approaches to Donald. In June 2024, Anwar traveled to Pittsburgh for his youth football camp, according to a court filing. She wrote that she watched him in front of the stadium 'where he briskly passed by her to acknowledge her presence with a smile and non-verbal greeting …' and she crossed paths with his daughter at a snack bar. Advertisement The 'Red Barry' Twitter posts about being married to Donald continued — 'you are well aware I am Aaron's legal wife' — among mentions of Donald's real wife, witchcraft and a reality television star. Then Anwar filed for divorce. In a November petition in L.A. County Superior Court, she claimed to have married Donald on May 25, 2024 — in reality, he was celebrating his birthday with his wife and family in Pittsburgh that day — and they now had 'irreconcilable differences.' She wanted a lump-sum payment of $3.8 million within 60 days of the divorce being finalized. Her handwritten name appeared five times in the document: 'Janelle Anwar aka Red Barry.' Up to this point, Anwar hadn't been accused of violence. But the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department cited her for misdemeanor battery on Jan. 17. The department refused to provide details about what happened and denied two public records requests. Anwar didn't respond to questions from The Athletic about the incident. A month and a half later, the messages peppering Donald grew more frequent and worrisome. They included Anwar's pledge on Google Chat that he would have to pay for the life of his young son. Experts say that victims, regardless of stature, can be reluctant to go to law enforcement for a variety of reasons, including fear that it might escalate the stalker's behavior. A report to Congress by the attorney general in 2022 found that less than a third of stalking victims involved authorities. 'Stalking is challenging to police effectively as it is a pattern-based, rather than an incident-based crime,' the report said. 'Responding to stalking cases often necessitates specialized knowledge and is a significant investigative effort.' Three days after the alarming messages about Donald's young son, Anwar filed another divorce petition against the former player. She again used the 'Red Barry' pseudonym and sought $6.5 million. The petition was mailed to the NFL — care of Commissioner Roger Goodell — in a certified letter without a return address. Advertisement Donald received another flurry of Google Chat messages from Anwar the same day: 'You're done … FBI report coming … I will start reporting all of your bodies … And I will use my real name … And I will state I am your wife currently … Today is my day bitch.' He was copied on an email Anwar sent to a disc jockey on March 18. The disc jockey had no connection to either of them. Donald's current address was in the subject line. She knew where he lived. Six hours later, Donald got the email with Anwar's annual performance review. Donald received another email from Anwar the same night. His L.A.-based attorney called her the next day. 'Ms. Anwar informed me that she had known my client for some time and had gotten married to Petitioner online,' Peter Lauzon wrote in a declaration. 'Ms. Anwar spoke in a very erratic and confused manner and claimed that Petitioner's current wife and Petitioner were not married. Ms. Anwar further stated that Petitioner's children have gone missing and that Petitioner should 'be careful' and 'to watch out.'' The following evening, Anwar attempted to send a DoorDash delivery to Donald's current home, but security at the gated community refused it. Donald's application for a restraining order in April didn't appear to give Anwar pause. Her responsive declaration filed a few days later sought to subpoena 50 NFL players — the suggested queries included whether they knew of her as a 'Spiritual Guru' — in addition to DNA testing for the Donald children. She wanted a handwriting expert to examine Donald's signature on the application. She suggested Rams players broke into her southwest L.A. home as a prank and left a sock belonging to coach Sean McVay — she wanted it tested for DNA, too. A judge granted a five-year restraining order against Anwar in May. She didn't attend the hearing. But two days later, she emailed Donald's legal team. The email claimed that 'the marriage/divorce is not a sham,' mentioned a psychic reading she purportedly conducted and positioned herself as a victim. She wrote that she was 'perfectly OK with the restraining order …' Advertisement The order requires her to stay 100 yards from Donald, his wife, his four children and brother, as well as their homes, schools, vehicles and workplaces. It also prohibits her from contacting them directly or indirectly. Cuevas laments how much of the burden of protection falls on stalking victims. They have to get a restraining order. They have to make it permanent. They have to hope the stalker respects it — or, if the order is violated, that it will provide grounds for law enforcement to get involved and arrest the perpetrator. 'That's a lot to go through as a victim just to have some sense of protection and safety,' he said. Donald and his attorney didn't respond to requests for comment. But Donald's words linger from the restraining order declaration: '(Anwar) is delusional and I fear that (Anwar's) delusions will lead to her attempting to harm me, my wife, my children, and my brother' and 'My wife … has also expressed fear for the safety of our entire family due to (Anwar's) actions.' Anwar, who has not been criminally charged in connection with the case, pleaded no contest to the battery charge in Las Vegas. The conditions include eight hours of impulse control counseling. According to her LinkedIn page, her employment at the healthcare startup ended in July. Anwar mentioned Donald several times in emails to The Athletic in June and July: 'Seems like I have a problem with men bragging about being married to me and or some sort of intimate/personal relationship …' She listed several men, including McVay and Donald. She wrote that she 'decided to take action' with Donald and the ensuing situation is 'quite amusing to me, hilarious to be frank …' The correspondence included bizarre claims about celebrities such as Dave East, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner. She wrote: 'You can tell people I am delusional. I don't care. … I won't win the media battle, not elite enough.' Advertisement On Saturday, Anwar sent an email to Donald's attorney claiming that an anonymous source informed her that Donald and a former teammate had recently entered her backyard and that her 'instinct is to appeal the restraining order.' (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
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‘Unguardable' with ‘freaky lateral quickness': Hunter Renfrow returns to where he broke out
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dabo Swinney referred to him as 'craftsman' when it comes to running routes. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen used the word 'unguardable.' But before Hunter Renfrow was a Houdini on the route tree, he was a by-the-books rookie receiver who seldom strayed too far from the play's design. That approach helped Renfrow thrive at Clemson, where he went from a walk-on to the most prolific receiver in College Football Playoff history. Advertisement But then-Raiders coach Jon Gruden wanted more from Renfrow, whose breakthrough came via a 65-yard touchdown catch at Houston midway through his rookie year. With the Panthers headed to Houston for a joint practice and preseason game this week, Renfrow hopes he's on the verge of another pivot point — a spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster after spending all of 2024 out of the NFL dealing with a health issue. As he prepared to play in Houston for just the second time, Renfrow reflected on how his career began to take off after the 2019 game against the Texans. 'I think I was overthinking everything. Whenever the coaches write a play a certain way, Gruden would always say, 'Make the play come to life.' I wasn't doing that. I was kind of just doing what was in the playbook,' Renfrow said in a phone interview last week. 'And if it said run 10 yards and run in, that's what I was doing. That's what I'd always been coached to do. But in the NFL everybody can do that, and people are a lot more athletic than I am. So kinda had to put my own little spin on it. That was right when I started to do it a little unorthodox but it was somewhat working for me.' Hunter Renfrow breaks a tackle and runs 65 yards for his first career TD! @Raiders @renfrowhunter #OAKvsHOU 📺: CBS📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports appWatch free on mobile: — NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019 According to Thielen, Renfrow's skill set is hard to describe and almost defies physics. While receivers are taught at a young age to keep their feet underneath them so they don't slip when making cuts, that somehow doesn't apply to the 5-10, 185-pound Renfrow. 'When he's changing direction, his strides are far away from his body,' Thielen said. 'So you've got to have some serious body control and center of gravity stability to do that.' Advertisement But after being drafted in the fifth round after the Tigers' second national championship in three years, Renfrow was playing tentatively as a rookie. Through the Raiders' first six games, Renfrow caught 14 passes for 115 yards. Then came Week 8 at Houston, where Renfrow took a third-down pass from Derek Carr, eluded safety Jahleel Addae and sprinted in for his first career touchdown. According to Next Gen Stats, the play had an expected 6 yards after the catch. Renfrow picked up 57 yards after the reception; the 65-yard pickup remains the longest of his career. 'That was my first touchdown. It's the only time I've ever played there, my rookie year. I was kind of struggling, so it was good to get things off the ground,' he said. 'Finally got a pass on third down. It was like a little, 5-yard in-breaking route and slipped a tackle and ran like 60 yards,' Renfrow added. 'It gave me some confidence and I think it gave the coaches some confidence in me as well. It was kind of a turning point for me.' Renfrow finished with four catches (on four targets) for 88 yards against the Texans, who won 27-24 when Deshaun Watson — Renfrow's college teammate — threw a game-winning touchdown after getting kicked in the face by a pass rusher. But the big play sparked Renfrow, who pulled down 35 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns over the final seven games, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the last two. Renfrow rode the strong finish to another 600-yard receiving season in 2020 before putting together a monster '21 — 103 receptions for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns, capped by a Pro Bowl berth. Renfrow started feeling poorly right around the Pro Bowl, with physical activity often bringing on nausea. It would take a while for doctors to diagnose him with ulcerative colitis. By then he'd lost 35 pounds and seen his production dip dramatically after he'd signed a two-year, $32 million extension in 2022. Advertisement Renfrow spent last year working at his uncle's equipment relocation and storage business in South Carolina and wondering if his playing days were done. But after getting his condition under control through diet and medication, Renfrow had his agent reach out to the Raiders and Panthers in March for tryouts. And on the Panthers' first day in pads last month, there was Renfrow shaking defensive backs with quick-twitch moves while Swinney looked on from the sideline. But going from 0 to 60 after a year away from the game left Renfrow with a pulled hamstring, and trainers shut him down for two weeks. Had it been the regular season, Renfrow said he wouldn't have missed any games. 'I think they're just trying to be cautious,' he said. 'With taking last year off, trying to just be smart with the load being put on my body. Get re-calloused back up.' When healthy, Renfrow brings a different element to a deep receiving group — even if it's not the easiest thing to explain. 'I don't think there's really a way to describe it,' Thielen said with a laugh. 'You've just gotta see it.' Renfrow usually lines up in the slot, where he uses an array of cuts and fakes and jukes to change directions and separate from defensive backs. Renfrow isn't often asked to go deep, although offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said he has a way of making defenders think he's going long. 'He's got some freaky lateral quickness. And then when he opens up, he's like big strides — a powerful first four steps, which simulates, 'I'm going full-tilt vertical,'' Idzik said. 'He simulates that every single time and then he eats up whatever leverage you give him.' Bryce to Renfrow against Moehrig. — Joe Person (@josephperson) August 11, 2025 Thielen, who's beginning his 12th season, said the 29-year-old Renfrow has a unique way of getting open. 'He trusts it. And it's pretty much unguardable,' Thielen said. 'You see it in one-on-ones. You see it in team reps. Not a lot of times is the ball coming his way and (there's) not a lot of separation. That's a credit to him and his route craft, his ability to get open day in and day out. It's not easy to do in this league.' Advertisement Renfrow has return experience, but otherwise doesn't bring much to the Panthers' special teams, often a roster-spot separator at some positions. But it's those qualities that Thielen and Idzik talked about that give Renfrow a good shot to make the 53 in what would be a great comeback story. 'You can only control what you can control. What makes sense to me and what I've always thought from a receiver's standpoint and being a teammate standpoint, I judge myself off am I being a good teammate and am I helping the team win?' Renfrow said. 'If I can say yes to those two things, and I feel good about it and where things are headed, feel like we're getting better, then I take it day by day. And if I can't, then there's no point in playing.' After his health scare and subsequent year off, Renfrow is trying to be less nervous about football and appreciate the little things. That could mean returning this week to the Houston Topgolf facility where he and some friends hit balls before his big game six years ago. 'I think I'm a guy that's really anxious before games. I just want to do well. I want my teammates to count on me. But then sometimes you have paralysis by analysis,' he said. 'So coming back, I want to do more of that. I want to enjoy life. I mean, I really enjoy life. But like I want to get out there and if we're in a new city, get out and see a place and enjoy being in a new city. Appreciate the journey a little more than I probably did my first five years.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
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- New York Times
NFL Quarterback Tiers 2025: Experts vote on Caleb Williams
The past five days of, let's call them 'media vibes,' haven't been top-notch for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. He finished Friday's joint practice against the Miami Dolphins with struggles in the red zone period. He didn't play in Sunday's preseason game. The passing offense was a mess in Monday's practice, which came hours after Mike Sando's annual 'Quarterback Tiers' was released, ranking Williams 23rd, near the bottom of Tier 3 — 17 spots below Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who sits atop Tier 2. Advertisement (We can add colleague Jon Greenberg's Tuesday story on Seth Wickersham's upcoming book 'American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.') Fortunately, none of that should have any impact on what happens Sept. 8 on 'Monday Night Football' against the Minnesota Vikings. Well, unless the shaky practices are a harbinger. There are myriad reasons Williams hasn't been automatic in camp. He's also had some really impressive days, giving him a 'stock: neutral' in my camp stock report, but Sando's tiers tell us that the league is playing wait and see. They don't know, and there are some doubters. Caleb Williams Bears One general manager offered optimism that Williams' struggles with working quickly as a rookie can get fixed over time, comparing him to this week's joint practice opponent, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. 'Maybe it is a little bit like Josh (Allen) early in his career, where he has so much good other stuff that you will live with some negative plays, and as he gets more snaps under his belt, that part will come,' the GM told Sando. Allen is the north star for every fan base with a struggling rookie quarterback. Bears fans pointed to Allen's career arc when Justin Fields had his skeptics. Allen is no longer a unicorn. We've seen more QBs rally from bumpy beginnings. One defensive coordinator told Sando that Williams' ability to get the ball out of his hands 'was the worst we played against.' That was a major issue last season, a function of subpar offensive line play, a scheme that didn't work and Williams' propensity to hold on to the ball too long. A head coach said that Williams 'is not playing fast right now.' Another coach told Sando, 'You saw signs and ability, and I also think you saw signs and ability that scare you.' No one questioned Williams' talent, but they all had questions. Another defensive coordinator had the comment that resonated most: The addition of head coach Ben Johnson should be the difference-maker. Advertisement 'I would not be shocked if the kid plays well. Ben is good,' he told Sando. 'He can adjust. I'm sure they will find a happy medium somewhere.' Williams is far from the first first-round quarterback to be thrust into a difficult situation as a rookie. There are No. 1 picks, too, who have been in a tough spot, earned skepticism and then turned it around. Recently, Bryce Young comes to mind. The 2023 No. 1 pick debuted in Tier 4 after his rookie season. He's one spot below Williams this year, jumping to Tier 3, after showing improvement late in Year 2. He even got a Tier 2 vote from an AFC team executive. Like Williams, Young's rookie season included an in-season coach firing. Since we'll be talking about Lions quarterback Jared Goff a lot with Johnson calling plays, he's another example of a best-case scenario after a rough rookie season. After 2017, Goff ranked 32nd in QB Tiers, trailing the likes of Brian Hoyer, Paxton Lynch and Blake Bortles. After one year with Sean McVay, Goff jumped to 19th and into Tier 3. Goff's career took another turn when he was traded to Detroit and found himself 22nd, near the bottom of Tier 3 after 2021. After one year with Johnson as his play caller, Goff shot up to 15th. Now, he's eighth. You can look at Goff and everything around him in Detroit and say that it won't happen here with Williams. Or you can see how much things progressed with him and Johnson and have hope for what it could mean for Williams. Remember the vibes conversation at the top? While nothing that happened to Fields or Mitch Trubisky should have any bearing on Williams' future, it's understandable for fans' minds to turn to the last two Bears first-round QBs who had to switch offenses after one season. What did that look like in QB Tiers? Trubisky debuted at 29th, in Tier 4, in 2018 after his rookie season under coach John Fox. He only moved up to 25th following the 2018 division title, but that was Tier 3. One offensive coordinator lauded Trubisky's leadership to Sando and saw improvement coming. Advertisement Fields' rookie season landed him at the top of Tier 4 in 2022, with one coach telling Sando he was 'cautiously optimistic.' He moved up to Tier 3 in 2023 after putting up phenomenal rushing numbers in Luke Getsy's offense. When he got traded to Pittsburgh, he moved back to Tier 4, ranking 24th last summer. Cautionary tales. That's all Trubisky — who will be in town this week with the Bills — and Fields are to anyone at Halas Hall. They're different quarterbacks and had different coaches. Johnson is supposed to do a better job of putting Williams in position to reach his potential. Williams should have a better offensive line than his two predecessors had, not to mention the receiving corps. The defense should be better than anything Fields experienced. For now, the league is hesitant. Coaches, coordinators and executives have been wrong before, countless times. Goff is the perfect example of why patience is required with this position. Throw Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith in there, too. In 2019, Allen received 36 votes for Tier 4. This year he had 47 votes for Tier 1. Maybe it's hard to be patient when Daniels is at the top of Tier 2, Bo Nix is ranked 20th and Drake Maye — whose rookie-year coach was also fired — is one spot ahead of Williams. The No. 1 pick ranked fourth in his draft class. That's why they play the games, right? We all get to see what Williams can do in Year 2 on the field, and what that'll mean for his QB Tier next summer. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
