Remember the Philadelphia eagles “Dream Team” back in 2011? The roster was stacked with stars like QB Michael Vick, RB LeSean McCoy, WR DeSean Jackson, CB Nnamdi Asomugha, and many more notable names. They gave themselves what turned out to be the infamous nickname as the 2011 Eagles famously underachieved and failed to make the playoffs altogether, getting the title of pretender after all the offseason hype.
Pretenders come up every year in the NFL. You can look back to last season with the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson’s inability to “cook” as a clear example. Still, some pretenders have the chance to rise to prominence after a down year, making the playoffs and becoming a contender.