The NFL is a league unlike many in professional sports.
Going into the season, for the most part fans genuinely have no idea who will come out as the champions.
Despite this, there are a few teams who have more pressure on them going into the year than others.
There are three teams in the NFL who are facing major pressure to do big things in the 2021 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The team that has the most pressure on them for the 2021 season are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs are coming off of a Super Bowl victory that caught many NFL fans by surprise.
Despite having Tom Brady on their roster, Tampa Bay came into the playoffs as the 5th seed in the NFC.
However, they reached their peak during the playoffs and knocked off the heavily favorited Kansas City Chiefs.
With players like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Shaquil Barrett, and Leonard Fournette resigning with the team, it is clear that the Bucs have a goal of bringing another Super Bowl back to Tampa Bay in the 2021 season.
BREAKING: @Buccaneers re-sign @TomBrady through the 2022 season. pic.twitter.com/KXseJaV7zd
— Hank Corsair (@CorsairHank) March 12, 2021
Even though Brady has fought off Father Time better than any quarterback that has been in the league, time will win eventually.
That could sadly be this year.
Brady is currently 43 years old and will be 44 before the 2021 season begins.
While he has a plethora of weapons around him and a very talented defense on the other side of the ball, Brady can only play at an elite enough level to win a Super Bowl for so much longer.
Each year that Brady remains in the league, the more pressure will fall on his team to get to the promised land again to further build up his G.O.A.T. resume.
Kansas City Chiefs
The next NFL team that will have the most pressure on them into the 2021 season are the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs are coming off of a very disappointing Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This was after a season in which the Chiefs were heavy favorites to win it all.
This Super Bowl collapse is one of the biggest reasons as to why they have so much pressure on them this season.
Along with this, the franchise is already seeing the effects of giving Patrick Mahomes his mega extension.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' 10-year contract extension will be worth up to $503M.
It's the first half a billion contract in sports history 🤯 #SilverSports pic.twitter.com/WYp6jGrySU
— Fancy Di Maria (@FancyDiMaria_) July 7, 2020
The Chiefs have already had to make some cuts to very important players on the roster.
As more players look to cash in on being key parts of the Kansas City dynasty, the Chiefs will have to make some big decisions on who to keep and who to let go to stay within cap restraints.
This may be the best that the Chiefs roster will look for the remainder of Mahomes contract with the team.
If that is the case, along with the team coming off of a Super Bowl defeat, there will be a lot of pressure on the team to get the job done and win it all in the 2021 season.
Cleveland Browns
The final team that will have a lot of pressure on them going into the 2021 season is the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns had their best season since their return to the city of Cleveland in 1999.
It included a playoff appearance, a winning record, and a victory in the wildcard round of the playoffs.
During the season, Brown’s quarterback Baker Mayfield was quoted as saying,
“This is what I have been saying, there is a new standard and there is a foundation you have to continue to build on and improve. That is just the way we need to handle things.”
Cleveland is setting the expectations high for themselves next season.
However, there is a good reason behind that.
Through the second half of the season, Mayfield looked like a top 10 quarterback in the league.
Along with this, the Browns have one of the best rushing offenses in the entire NFL.
One of the only weak spots on their roster comes from their secondary.
However, general manager Andrew Berry has zeroed in on these position groups during free agency and likely will do the same in the draft.
Cleveland will be facing a much more difficult schedule in 2021 compared to 2020.
Due to this, they will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders, especially with the fan base finally becoming accustomed to and expectant of winning.
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