NFC most disappointing players: Giants’ Daniel Jones, these NFC West QBs fizzling

Several NFC teams are suffering from subpar quarterback play — we’re looking at you, New York Giants (2-5), Los Angeles Rams (2-4), San Francisco 49ers (3-4) and Carolina Panthers (1-6) — and their records reflect it.

Ahead of Week 8, Yardbarker NFL writers identify the most disappointing player on each NFC team.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | RB Rico Dowdle | Dowdle entered the bye week as the league’s 37th-leading rusher (246 yards). No one expected the fourth-year running back to be the team’s next Emmitt Smith, but the Cowboys expected more than 41 yards rushing per game from their leading rusher.

NEW YORK GIANTS | QB Daniel Jones | Fans hoping that Jones could regain the form that made him the NFL’s 15th-leading passer in 2022 are surely disappointed with his 99-yard passing, seven-sack performance against the Eagles in Week 7, but no one should be surprised. The addition of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick, hasn’t raised the QB’s level of play. Instead, Jones is holding back Nabers and the rest of his teammates.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | DE Bryce Huff | Huff had 10 sacks while playing just 42% of snaps for the New York Jets last season. In six games in 2024, he has six tackles and 1.5 sacks. With a three-year, $51M contract in his pocket, Philadelphia’s well-rested defensive end could go down as the worst free-agent signing in team history.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | TE Ben Sinnott | That’s right, Washington fans, the second-round rookie is still on the team. It took him seven games, but Sinnott finally made the stat sheet with the first two catches of his NFL career and a meaningless, third-quarter touchdown catch against the Panthers in Week 7. That’s underwhelming for a player that Commanders GM Adam Peters previously compared to Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle of the 49ers after the draft.  — Bruce Ewing

NFC West 

ARIZONA CARDINALS | WR Marvin Harrison Jr. | It might be unfair to call a rookie disappointing at this point. Harrison Jr. arrived in the NFL expecting to be an immediate impact player. The wideout from Ohio State has had his moments, but he has caught only 20 of the 43 passes thrown his way (for 300 yards) and produced inconsistently.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | QB Matthew Stafford | Injuries to wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have limited the offense, but you would like to see a QB of Stafford’s ability and track record make more plays. He has just three touchdown passes in six games (and four interceptions) and a passer rating of 83.6 (24th in the NFL).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | QB Brock Purdy | This is a huge season for Purdy, who is trying to get the 49ers back to a Super Bowl and secure a long-term contract. He has not been great through seven games, tossing seven interceptions and registering a 91.2 passer rating (19th in the NFL).

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | RB Zach Charbonnet | When the Seahawks drafted Charbonnet in 2023, Seattle hoped he could give the team a dominant 1-2 punch at running back with Kenneth Walker. But through seven games this season, Charbonnet has shown little burst, no big-play ability, and is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry (nearly a full yard less than Walker) and doesn’t have a run of 15 yards or more. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | TE Gerald Everett | Chicago signed him to a two-year, $12M deal in the offseason, but the TE, who had at least 400 receiving yards in each of the past five seasons, has failed to deliver. Despite running at least five pass routes in each of the Bears’ six games, Everett has a measly five receptions for 22 yards, including four zero or fewer-yard performances.

DETROIT LIONS | TE Sam LaPorta | After setting the rookie record for receptions in a season (86) in 2023, a panel of eight Associated Press writers ranked the second-round pick as the fifth-best tight end in the league. LaPorta has failed to build on his productive rookie season, recording 224 yards receiving and one TD catch through six games and notching more than two catches in a game only twice.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | DE Lukas Van Ness | Green Bay selected Van Ness 13th overall in the 2023 draft, hoping that, when lined up alongside star pass-rushers Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark, he would complete one of the league’s more formidable defensive lines. However, Van Ness hasn’t earned his first career start nearly halfway through his second season. Per Next Gen Stats via NFL Pro, he has one sack and nine QB pressures on 117 rushes in 2024.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | CB Byron Murphy Jr. | Despite his team only playing six games due to an early bye week, Murphy leads all players in yards allowed as the nearest defender in 2024 (440) and has allowed a 105.9 passer rating when targeted, per Next Gen Stats via NFL Pro. His current pace of 1,247 yards allowed in 17 games (346 more than any player in a season since 2018) will raise doubts about his future after his contract expires this offseason. — Josh Eaton

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | Safety Justin Simmons | When the Falcons signed Simmons as a free agent during the preseason, he was viewed as a shrewd investment. No one expected him to be one of the league’s worst tacklers, with Pro Football Focus already blaming him for 11 missed tackles. 

CAROLINA PANTHERS | QB Bryce Young | Five weeks after his benching in favor of journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton, Young remains Carolina’s most disappointing player. The 2021 Heisman winner was 37-of-65 (56.9 percent) for 299 yards passing (4.6 yards per attempt) and three interceptions before head coach Dave Canales pulled the plug on the failed experiment with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | CB Paulson Adebo | Frustrating might be a better word for Adebo than disappointing. The physical fourth-year corner ranks fifth in the league in interceptions (three) and third in passes defended (10) but also has a league-high nine penalties, including a devastating pass interference in Week 4 against Atlanta that set up the Falcons’ winning 58-yard Younghoe Koo field goal.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | RB Rachaad White | Tampa’s rushing offense has improved dramatically this season, but you wouldn’t know by watching White (227 rushing yards). The third-year pro averages 3.7 yards per carry, well below rookie Bucky Irving (5.2 yards per carry) and second-year running back Sean Tucker (8.2 yards per carry). — Eric Smithling