2022-23 NFL Predictions: 5 Players That Will Have a Bounce-Back Season

Because of the grueling nature of the NFL, stars annually succumb to injuries, or players suit up and grind it out at less than 100%. As a result, there are always multiple impact players returning from an injury for the start of the following season.

While Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas highlight the star-studded cast of star NFLers looking to rebound from a 2021 injury, here are five more bounceback players to watch entering the 2022 NFL season.

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Barkley missed four games with an ankle injury and rushed for just two touchdowns and 3.7 yards per attempt when healthy last season. His dominant 2018 rookie campaign when he ran for over 1300 yards seems like a distant memory, and the fourth-year running back has only reached triple-digit rushing yards in a game once over the past two seasons.

The Giants have brought in former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as head coach, so the expectation is for him to maximize the talent in the locker room. 

Barkley should run behind an improved offensive line in 2022. If quarterback Daniel Jones can take a step forward under the tutelage of Daboll, the offense will be far less predictable. There’s also potential for Barkley to be utilized in the passing attack more frequently to allow him to operate in space and take advantage of his upper-echelon athleticism.

The dots are lining up for Barkley to return to being one of the most dangerous running backs in the league, and now he and the G-Men just need those dots to connect.

Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints

The 2015 first overall selection will begin his third year with the Saints and second as their starting quarterback after a solid start to the 2021 season. However, he only played in seven games after tearing the ACL and damaging the MCL in his left knee.

Winston threw for 1,170 yards with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions while leading New Orleans to a 5-2 record before the injury. Additionally, that success was without three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Michael Thomas.

Thomas is expected back, and the Saints also selected wide receiver Chris Olave with their first selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, so Winston will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. It is worth highlighting that five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara has a pending legal case looming, though.

Progress and development aren’t always linear. Even with all his peaks and valleys to this point, Winston has consistently flashed the talent that made him the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. He just needs to protect the football like he did to start last season to solidify himself as an above-average starting quarterback in the league.

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Allen Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

The 28-year-old receiver has caught passes from some of the worst quarterbacks and in some of the worst offenses in the NFL during his eight-year career. Robinson has still managed to post solid statistics when healthy, which includes a 14-touchdown showing as a sophomore, three seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, and recording 102 receptions in 2020.

Now, Robinson is attached to the most prolific offense of his career and catching passes from the best quarterback of his career in Matthew Stafford.

Robinson projects to benefit from softer on-field matchups with opposing defenses needing to focus on No. 1 wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Barring injury, it would be nearly impossible for Robinson to not double up on last season’s 38 receptions, 410 receiving yards, and single score during his first year with the Rams.

While Robinson probably won’t see the same target volume with the Rams as he did during his best seasons with the Jaguars and Bears, he’s a lock to complement Kupp and form one of the best receiving tandems in the league.

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Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

The 25-year-old wide receiver caught just 15 passes for 129 yards and suited up for only five games in his final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith-Schuster was on injured reserve for the bulk of the year with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 5 that ultimately required surgery. He wasn’t able to return to action until Pittsburgh’s loss to Kansas City during Super Wild Card Weekend.

Now, he’ll catch passes from four-time Pro Bowl and 2018 regular-season MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It’s a huge boost in opportunity for Smith-Schuster, as he projects to open the season as the No. 1 wide receiver for the Chiefs, and the second option in the passing attack behind tight end Travis Kelce. 

Don’t forget, Smith-Schuster caught 97 passes and nine touchdowns as recently as 2020. Plus, he had 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven scores as a sophomore during his breakout 2018 showing.

The former Steeler might not be able to duplicate his 2018 numbers, but expect Smith-Schuster to be a major contributor to the Kansas City offense in 2022.

Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Perhaps not a true bounceback candidate because Etienne hasn’t played an NFL snap after sustaining a season-ending Lisfranc injury during the preseason last August, the Clemson product is fully healthy entering the 2022 campaign.

The 23-year-old running back reunites with college quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the new-look Jags offense, and Etienne projects to begin the year splitting reps with third-year back James Robinson. It’s definitely worth noting however Robinson is also working his way back from an Achilles’ injury he sustained in Week 16 against the New York Jets last season.

Etienne was the more heralded prospect of the two backs and could quickly establish himself as the No. 1 rusher in Jacksonville. He’s currently a +125000 longshot to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award at Caesars Sportsbook. 

Etienne’s big-play ability and familiarity with Lawrence will bring a dynamic the Jacksonville offense has lacked and help the Jags take a sizable step forward in 2022. 

Here are the current Regular Season MVP Award odds for the noted five players at Caesars, DraftKings Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL Regular Season MVP Award Odds

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