Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Competing against the best of the best in the NFL is tough—we are not here to argue that… But, man, there’s nothing worse than watching a player with all the talent in the world crumble when the moment is biggest.
You know exactly what I’m talking about—fourth quarter, primetime, everything on the line, and instead of stepping up… they fold like a cheap tent.
Today, we’re running through the biggest chokers in the NFL right now—the guys you just know are going to cost their team when it matters most.
Let’s dive into it!
Who are the biggest chokers in the NFL today?
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Dec 22, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws the football before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
It seems like we see the same story play out every year… The Miami Dolphins offense looks like an all-time juggernaut in September, you know… assuming Tua is able to stay healthy. But once the winter months roll around, that seemingly very same offense comes to a screeching stop.
And things only seem to get worse when the Fins qualify for the NFL playoffs. Whenever the chips are down, or the going gets tough—this is a completely different offense—and we’ve seen this play out over and over with the common denominator being Tua Tagovailoa.
This dude racks up MVP buzz early in the season, but when he faces actual playoff teams, he suddenly goes silent. The stats nosedive, the mistakes pile up, and by the time the Dolphins are eliminated, you’re left wondering how the same quarterback could look so different once the stakes rise.
Deebo Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders
Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr (1) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Over the past few years, two things have come true: when Deebo Samuel is healthy and everything’s clicking, he’s a nightmare to stop, but for one reason or another, whether it be the pressure of the moment or nagging injuries—he always seemed to disappear whenever the 49ers needed him most.
It seems that the Commanders brass thinks that perhaps a fresh start in Washington will change that, but until he proves otherwise, the pattern is impossible to ignore.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kyler Murray might be one of the most frustrating quarterbacks in the league. There are moments—brief, fleeting moments—where he looks unstoppable. But against top-tier teams or in the playoffs, it’s a disaster every single time.
I mean, think about this, in his one playoff appearance, Murray had a passer rating of 40.9 with 137 yards and 2 interceptions.
And as bad as the stats are, the tape was worse.
Any semblance of pocket presence disappears, the decision-making deteriorates, and instead of elevating his team, he looks completely overwhelmed.
He’s got all the talent in the world, but when you consistently crumble under pressure, that talent only gets you so far.
Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas Cowboys
Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) takes the field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Trevon Diggs loves to talk. And to be fair, he’s got the highlight-reel plays to back it up—when he guesses right, but too often, particularly in the big moments, he swings and misses, getting burned for a big play.
Frankly, he isn’t the kind of corner you want to lean on when it comes to shutting down elite receivers in big games.
More often than not, Diggs is getting cooked. Big plays look nice, but getting beat in crunch time is a killer.
Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (4) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Elliott has had his moments, but when the Eagles desperately needed him in high-pressure situations, particularly once the distance needed to be dialed up for the kick, the consistency hasn’t always been there.
He finished the 2024 season with a 28-of-36 mark on field goals but went just 1-of-7 on attempts from 50+ yards.
Perhaps this is a utilization issue from the coaching staff more so than a traditional void of “clutch-ness” but in the modern NFL you need your kicker to be able to deliver on those kind of kicks with a higher degree of regularity.
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Washington Commanders
Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) gets into a fight with Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) during the first half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Marshon Lattimore is one of those guys who looks the part but doesn’t always play like it when it matters most.
Whether it was his up-and-down tenure in New Orleans or now in Washington, the same pattern keeps repeating itself—Lattimore isn’t as reliable as his reputation suggests.
Especially when you factor in his hot temper, which has resulted in him catching untimely penalties more often than a veteran dver should!
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Mark Andrews has been one of the best tight ends in football in recent years—at least until the playoffs roll around. Then, he’s either hurt, struggling to get open, or just outright invisible.
Or worse, what we saw this past year with a couple of horrendous drops essentially cost the Ravens the game against Buffalo.
For a guy who puts up the numbers he does during the regular season, you’d think he’d be Lamar’s go-to weapon in must-win games, but that couldn’t be further from the case.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) looks to avoid Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong (92) in the first half against the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
Jared Goff is a perfectly fine quarterback—when conditions are perfect. But throw him in a cold-weather game, and things get hairy…
Even more concerning is what we’ve seen out of Goff in hostile playoff environments… Whether it was the Super Bowl back in the day with the Rams against New England—or the shocking loss in this past year’s NFC Championship game against the Washington Commanders, it looks like he’s a completely different player. The turnover monster starts to rear its ugly head, and he can barely sustain a drive.
In a league where the great quarterbacks rise in those moments, Goff has yet to prove he can be that guy—regardless of what the counting numbers in the regular season would tell you.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to pass during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
The 2019 Ravens went 14-2, earned the number one seed, had a record 13 Pro Bowlers and six All-Pros, and became the first team in NFL history to average 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the same season. And yet, they lost immediately in the divisional round.
And to make matters worse, the offense looked completely different
Jump ahead to 2023, another one seed, All-Pros all over, and once again, the air came ripping out of the balloon in the playoffs.
This year—it was more of the same.
Baltimore continues to put different pieces around Lamar and shift the approach coaching-wise, but is has been to no avail. As impressive as he is, it is hard not to see Jackson as the common denominator in this situation.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Nov 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) walks off the field after a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Every year, it’s the same story—a strong regular season, hype building around Dallas being a real contender, and then… a complete meltdown when it matters most. The interceptions come in bunches, the offense sputters, and the Cowboys’ season ends with another what could have been.
And sure enough, Dak Prescott is always at the center of it.
Obviously, in 2024 the issues ran a bit deeper, but the fact of the matter is that Dak has done little to nothing to address the choker allegations.
He is the very definition of a guy who just isn’t built for big moments in the NFL.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) reacts after being sacked during the game against the Houston Texans in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Justin Herbert’s defenders, of which there are still many—though they are starting to dwindle… will scream about everything except the one thing that actually matters—his own play when the pressure is ratcheted up.
It is always the coaching, the defense, the lack of weapons, the injuries, the bad luck—there’s always an excuse.
How about the fact that in his two career playoff games, he has a 60.7 passer rating with just two touchdowns and four interceptions?
The crazy thing is that those numbers are actually a little inflated.
Almost all of his production came in the first half of the disastrous collapse against Jacksonville a couple of years back when they blew a 27 to 0 first-half lead to the Jaguars…
After the intermission—carrying into this year’s meltdown against the Houston Texans—it has been mighty ugly for Justin Herbert.
Hopefully, Jim Harbaugh can find a way to get under the hood and instill some toughness, but until then, we have to label Herbert as a choker.
Sam Darnold, QB, Free Agent
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts as he walks off the field after losing to the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The former No. 3 overall pick has built an entire career on underwhelming play in big moments—so much so that the only consistent thing about Sam Darnold’s career is that no matter the team, no matter the situation, when the game is on the line, he will find a way to make a backbreaking mistake.
And this year with the Minnesota Vikings was a painstaking example of just that.
Despite having the best season of his career—and the Vikes making a run at the NFC North crown, he melted down when the team really needed him to step up.
We saw it first during the season finale against the Detroit Lions when he completed just 43.9 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and 166 yards in a humiliating 31 to nine loss with the Division crown on the line.
Then, again in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, when they once again only mustered up nine points as a team, he seemed to rediscover every bad habit he’s ever had in his NFL career.
As painful as this was for Vikings fans, it was probably more so for Darnold as these choker performances likely cost him 10s of millions of dollars on the open market this offseason… Ouch.
At this point, it’s not about potential. It’s about results—and they show a career full of interceptions, bad decisions, and a quarterback who has never once looked comfortable in a high-pressure moment.
Greg Zuerlein, K, New York Jets
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets place kicker Greg Zuerlein (9) during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
With all of the noise surrounding the New York Jets and the Aaron Rodgers saga the past couple of years, the last thing that they needed was the bottom to fall out of their special teams, but that is exactly what happened with Greg Zuerlein.
Zuerlein managed to single-handedly cost them multiple games this year—games that, had he just done his job, could have actually put the Jets in the playoff race.
A mistake here or there is one thing, but it wasn’t just one miss. It was multiple crucial kicks early in the season—turning winnable games into frustrating losses—and sent the Jets season and the trajectory as a franchise into a tailspin.
Obviously, there is a lot of pressure inherently put on kickers and I want to be sympathetic to that, but the reality is he has one job – and when the pressure was on he couldn’t do it!
Russell Wilson, QB, Free Agent
Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to pass against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson (95) in the third quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Man, last year fell apart fast for Russell Wilson as he continued to be tortured by the same clutch-time demons that possessed him during the Super Bowl all those years ago.
It looked like the Steelers could be contenders with him at the helm, but it all came crumbling down in the stretch run.
The strange thing about this is that he is a guy that seemed to build his reputation on being clutch, early in his career and now he looks like the complete opposite.
When the moment is biggest, and he is expected to raise his level, wouldn’t you know it! The mistakes are right there waiting to happen!
Beyond the questions around his clutchness, I think it is safe to say that the days of Russ being a franchise quarterback are long gone—and unfortunately, with the way he chokes—it seems unlikely that he could really settle into a veteran, game manager kind of role in the NFL.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, New Orleans Saints
Dec 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (10) walks the field before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
If you had to draw up the prototype of a wide receiver who teases you with big-play ability but crumbles the second the moment gets real, you’d get MVS.
Yes, he has all the physicality and speed needed to be a top receiver, but for years, he’s proven over and over to be the master of the untimely drops.
Valdes-Scantling will make the occasional 50-yard catch, but only when the game’s already out of reach or the season – in the case of his production this past year with the New Orleans Saints…
Need a meaningless deep ball when you’re down by 20 then, MVS is your guy, but in the NFL where first rate receivers are relied on to make tough, contested grabs on with the game on the line… he’s not the kind of receiver you want to build around.
The chances of him choking away the big moment are way too high.
