Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? While new stars ascend in the National Football League every year, a reputation can carry a veteran player for a lot longer. Whether it’s fans holding a former All-Pro in high regard or a Pro Bowl player who isn’t quite as good as they’re built up to be, the reputation for some players just doesn’t match their production.
Let’s dive into our list of the most overrated NFL players right now.
QB: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
While fans might not view Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as one of the most overrated NFL players in 2025, he makes the list because of what people inside the league believe. When Mike Sando of The Athletic polled talent evaluators around the NFL, they put Stafford in the same tier (Tier 1) as Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Stafford ended last season with the fourth-worst On-Target Rate (74.3 percent) among quarterbacks with 15-plus starts. He also had the second-worst QB rating (50.8) when pressured and was just 15th in QB rating (95.8) on downfield (20-plus yard) throws and was 15th at his position in Adjusted EPA per Play (0.126). Now entering his age-37 season and already struggling to stay healthy, even top-10 quarterback play feels like a stretch.
Related: NFL QB Rankings 2025
RB: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Running the football effectively can’t be easy when your starting quarterback is completing under 50 percent of his passes. With that said, it’s not as if Shane Steichen and the Indianapolis Colts offensive line did all they could to help Jonathan Taylor. After all, Indianapolis finished last season ranked fourth in ESPN Run Block Win Rate (74 percent) and this team is just a year removed from fill-in Zack Moss averaging 4.3 yards per carry with 6 touchdowns and 794 rushing yards on 183 attempts.
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On the surface, Taylor’s 4.7 yards-per-carry average, 11 rushing touchdowns, and 1,431 rushing yards in 14 games look outstanding. However, the veteran running back also ranked 24th in true yards per carry (4.3), 16th in evaded tackles (54), 43rd in juke rate (16.8 percent), and he had the fourth-lowest yards after contact per attempt (1.9) among running backs with 220-plus carries. On top of all that, he’s largely become a non-factor as a receiving threat (12 yards per game) in the last two years.
WR: DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
Some of this might be a bit of a projection for how things are about to go in 2025 for DK Metcalf with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers really doesn’t like No. 1 receivers who tend to operate on their own and don’t run designed, crisp routes. It also won’t help that Metcalf is Rodgers is as inconsistent throwing deep as he was in 2024 (39.7 percent completion rate).
Related: Best NFL Wide Receivers 2025
Metcalf also isn’t exactly coming off a banner season in Seattle. He finished 43rd in yards per route run (1.83), 100th in contested catch rate (19.2 percent) and 93rd in Expected Points Added (+10.5). He’s three years removed from his last season with 10-plus touchdowns and he’s averaged 63.4 receiving yards per game after posting an 8.4 ypg average in 2020. Realistically, Metcalf’s days as a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver are over.
TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Maybe Travis Kelce’s offseason devoted to getting back in shape changes things. The reality is, heading into his age-36 campaign, Kelce has just lost the battle to Father Time. Because of the Rashee Rice injury in 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs offense had no choice but to make Kelce their primary pass-catcher. As a result, he played over 920 offensive snaps for the first time since 2019. Between that and the decline brought on by aging and a decade-plus of hits, Kelce had the third-lowest yards per reception (8.5), the second-lowest yards after catch per reception (3.5) among qualified tight ends, and he was 21st in yards per route run (1.67). At this point in his career, the future Hall of Famer is just a complementary weapon who should play fewer than 800 snaps.
Related: Best NFL Tight Ends 2025
OL: Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have had one of the best offensive lines in football for years now. Even with the retirement of standout center Frank Ragnow and the new-look interior, this unit still boasts the tandem of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell. While Sewell is arguably the best tackle in all of football, there’s a case to be made that Decker is the most overrated offensive lineman. Coming off a Pro Bowl selection in 2024, Decker allowed the seventh-most sacks (eight) and ranked just 13th among all offensive tackles in ESPN Pass-Block Win Rate (92 percent), while placing 46th in PFF’s Pass Blocking Efficiency (95.9). He’s a very good player, but the overall success of the Lions is influencing his reputation a little too much.
Related: Best NFL Offensive Lines 2025
EDGE: Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Two things can be true. First, Trey Hendrickson has earned a lucrative contract extension from the Cincinnati Bengals. Second, Hendrickson is certainly overrated coming off a season where he earned first-team All-Pro honors. While he’s totaled 25 sacks over the last two seasons and was the only NFL player with a pressure share over 30 percent last season, per ESPN, he really doesn’t bring much as a run defender. Hendrickson is great at one thing: getting to the quarterback. It’s everything else that makes him more of a top-10 player at his position than a top-five guy.
Related: Best NFL Pass Rushers 2025
LB: Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh Steelers
Off-ball linebackers aren’t as popular in the modern NFL as they used to be, so there’s a smaller pool to choose from when deciding the most overrated player. Heading into 2025, the obvious high-profile pick is Patrick Queen. A second-team All-Pro selection in 2023, Queen earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection this past season in his first year with Pittsburgh. That’s what playing for a marquee team with a passionate fan base will do. In reality, Queen had the sixth-highest missed tackle rate (17.1 percent) among starting linebackers with the third-worst stop rate (4.7 percent). When he dropped back in coverage, he allowed a 105.0 QB rating (PFF) and gave up the fourth-most receiving yards (718). Queen is a very good starter, that’s it.
Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025
CB: Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
Cornerback is the most volatile position in the NFL. For two consecutive years, you (Sauce Gardner) could be playing like a future Hall of Famer, and the following season, it all falls apart. Denzel Ward is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, including the last two seasons. He was also voted by NFL executives and coaches as the third-best cornerback in the NFL.
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However, not only are Ward’s durability issues a problem that keeps him off the field at least once each season, but the numbers don’t reflect his reputation. Ward allowed the second-highest yards per target (9.3) among corners targeted 50-plus times. With the likes of Devon Witherspoon, Christian Gonzalez, Quinyon Mitchell, and Jaycee Horn on the rise, Ward might not be a top-10 cornerback this season.
