NFL Players Under Pressure

Coming into 2008 there are a lot of players facing inordinate amounts of pressure. Whether it is due to a change in scenery, expectations, or something different all together, below are the players who have the most weight on their shoulders entering the new season.

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB - Green Bay)
It's no mystery that Aaron Rodgers is feeling the heat right now. He is squared to make the first Monday Night Football appearance of the new season under center for a team that has seen the same quarterback for the past 16 seasons. And if that doesn't make things worse, Rodgers is facing division foe Minnesota, the team most commonly picked to win the division when Green Bay is not the selection (sorry Chicago & Detroit but get some offense and defense, respectively). Rodgers will have to prove he is not only ready to be a starting quarterback, but also is ready to step into the biggest empty space since Michael Jordan left the 2-guard empty in Chicago.

2. Brett Favre (QB - New York Jets)
While Rodgers is trying to live up to Brett Favre in Green Bay, Brett Favre is trying to live up to his own legacy in New York. The Jets traded for Favre with the hope and expectation that he would be the 2007 version of No. 4 and not the 2005-2006 edition that fancied multi-interception games and missed opportunities to reach the playoffs. Favre is out of the comfort and sanctuary of Lambeau and is being tossed into the New York media and a less-talented team. However, expectations are high as many experts are, prematurely, calling the Jets a playoff team. Don't be alarmed when the Jets start the season 1-2 and are looking up at New England & Buffalo.

3. Tony Romo (QB - Dallas)
Don't look now but it's another Jessica Simpson sighting. Since his weekend in Mexico and subsequent playoff departure, Romo hasn't been able to shake the label of being Jessica Simpson's boyfriend. Entering 2008 the Cowboys are the clear No. 1 team in the NFC and will likely cruise to the division championship over the defending Super Bowl Champions and talented Eagles (sorry Redskins fans who really won't be competitive this season despite some likely upsets and a deceiving 7-9 record). If the Cowboys fail to reach the Super Bowl again this year, expect either Wade Phillips or Tony Romo to be looking for a new job in 2009.

4. Eli Manning (QB - New York Giants)
The pressure in New York won't be exclusive just to the Brett Favre and the Jets. Eli Manning is the reigning Super Bowl MVP but even that won't buy him much slack in New York where he has proven to be consistently inconsistent. While the season opener against Washington looked good (and Plaxico looked GREAT), Manning will still be suspect in the eyes of fans and media alike until he leads the Giants into the playoffs again.

5. Chad Joh...err..Ocho Cinco (WR - Cincinnati)
While the quarterback is the most important, glamorous and pressure packed position in football, there is one player who has so deliberately put pressure on himself that he can't be ignored from our Top 5 list. Chad Ocho Cinco, formerly Chad Johnson, of the Cincinnati Bengals, is keeping his name in the spotlight again. While I am excited to hear some of the stodgy color commentators call him by his unique new name, No. 85 is going to look pretty foolish if he racks up 850 yards and 6 TDs. Ocho Cinco has ensured all eyes will be on him, now he just needs to put up the numbers to back up yet another one of his stunts. Luckily for him, he's already proven legal names to be less permanent than tattoos.

Other names were considered ranging from Rex Grossman to Adrian Peterson to Derek Anderson, but the five players above will be sweating extra hard on gameday.