We are just weeks away from the 2021 NFL season getting underway. Fans are excited to see their favorite teams back out on the field as every team has aspirations of improving this season. For some players, 2021 is a chance to redeem themselves after struggling in recent seasons, such as Carson Wentz. Or, a player coming back from injury, like Nick Bosa, will want to reassert himself among the elite of his position.
Wide receiver Davante Adams doesn’t have anything to prove, but he is looking to cash in on his next contract another monster season will be another feather in his cap to make that happen.
What can we expect from those three players in the upcoming season? Let’s try out hand at some predictions.
Carson Wentz, QB, Indianapolis Colts
There was a lot of optimism surrounding the Indianapolis Colts’ acquisition of Carson Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Colts have a great foundation in place with his former offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, as head coach.
Indianapolis has a stellar offensive line and a great supporting cast at the skill position spots. Wentz was set up for success, but he just cannot avoid the injury bug. He is already dealing with a foot injury that had a timetable of 5-12 weeks for recovery. He still has a chance to be ready for NFL Week 1 action, but he has missed valuable time in training camp to learn the offense and build chemistry with his teammates.
Already behind the eight-ball, Wentz’s projections this season have to be adjusted. He will be better than he was in Philadelphia, but that is a low bar to clear.
Wentz will play in 13 games, throwing for just over 3,000 yards with 20 touchdowns. He will have nine interceptions, but the Colts will protect him better than he ever was in Philadelphia. He will absorb the fewest sacks in a season in his career as well in 2021 with 23.
Nick Bosa, Defensive End, San Francisco 49ers
Nick Bosa wasted no time making an impact in the NFL. He was the No. 2 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and he immediately made his presence felt on their defense.
Bosa finished his rookie season with 9.0 sacks, one interception, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He had 47 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits.
That was enough to earn him a spot on the Pro Bowl team and take home AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Unfortunately, he was unable to build off of that as he was injured in Week 2 of the 2020 season, tearing his ACL.
He is now ready to get back on the field and he will pick up right where he left off following his rookie season. Bosa will set a new career-high for sacks, racking up 12 and finishing among the league leaders in the category.
Davante Adams, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers
A lot of focus this NFL offseason was on the Green Bay Packers because of the Aaron Rodgers situation. That wasn’t the only thing the Packers were worrying about, as star wide receiver Davante Adams’s future with the team is also up in the air.
Adams cut off contract extension talks with the team in late July, which is bad news for Green Bay. Adams tying his future with the franchise to what Rodgers does is even worse news for his future outlook.
While there are questions about the future, one thing you can be sure about is that Adams will produce in 2021 with Rodgers throwing him the ball. He will further cement his case as one of the elite wide receivers in the league.
With an improved supporting cast, Adams will see a slight dip in his numbers, but they will remain impressive nonetheless. He will catch 110 passes for 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns in what could be his final season in Green Bay.
