- Deshaun Watson gets one more chance in Cleveland: With one season remaining on his infamous contract, Watson projects as the Browns‘ starter after recovering from an Achilles tear.
- Tank Dell could be a weapon for the Texans: The former third-round pick was an impactful receiver prior to enduring a major knee injury late in 2024.
- The Lions welcome back Levi Onwuzurike: Detroit's interior pass rush could benefit from the returning game-wrecker, providing a spark to a title contender.
Although the NFL offseason has crossed its least eventful bridge, a return to action is palpable. Training camps kick off in just a few weeks, with preseason football around the corner.
From household stars to rookies, watching any player return to practice at camp conjures happy feelings for fans. But for those who missed all of last season due to injury, even stepping onto the field is that much sweeter.
After recovering from serious wounds, these five names will look to reassert their skills during the 2026 campaign.
QB Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Since arriving in Cleveland before the 2022 season, Watson’s tenure has been an unmistakably disappointing one. That included suffering an Achilles tear in Week 7 of 2024, and a subsequent setback prompted him to miss all of 2025.
The last we saw of Watson two years ago was a player who had continued to struggle to regain his footing. Indeed, he posted a 63.4 PFF passing grade with eight big-time throws and five turnover-worthy plays across 270 dropbacks that season. The former dual-threat dynamo has also regressed on the ground of late, producing three straight sub-70.0 PFF rushing grades.
Despite the fact that Watson owns a 62.9 overall PFF grade during his oft-criticized tenure in Cleveland, all signs point to him being the team’s QB1 to start the 2026 season. If the former star doesn’t at least produce average results in Todd Monken’s scheme, his leash could be short — and it will prompt serious doubt about his future as an NFL starter.
WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans
Although Dell was a third-round pick in 2023, he took little time to assert himself as a valuable weapon in Houston’s passing attack. However, his rise came to a crashing halt late in the 2024 season. Indeed, Dell tore multiple ligaments in his knee in Week 16 against the Chiefs and wasn’t able to come back the following year.
With more time elapsed, it seems as though Dell should be able to participate in offseason activities for Houston at some point this summer. His sophomore season wasn’t quite as elite as his rookie year — when he earned an 83.4 overall PFF grade — but Dell still averaged 1.49 yards per route run and garnered a 92nd-percentile separation rate against single coverage.
The Texans will return a somewhat deep receiving corps in Nico Collins as well as second-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Nevertheless, a healthy Dell could easily help elevate Houston’s offense, especially after the unit finished 24th in passing success rate last year.
G Alijah Vera-Tucker, New England Patriots
The story of Vera-Tucker's career has, unfortunately, been an inability to stay on the field. The latest chapter occurred in 2025, when a torn triceps in an early September practice spurred him to miss all of the season.
Vera-Tucker has played more than 440 snaps in only two of his five potential pro seasons due to a myriad of injuries, although his 2024 campaign was a step in the right direction. Across 916 snaps, the former first-round pick produced a career-best 77.7 overall PFF grade with 74.5-plus marks in both pass- and run-blocking.
Seeking a high-upside addition on the inside, New England gave Vera-Tucker a three-year, $42 million contract to take over at left guard — where he last played in 2021 as a rookie. The deal certainly looks like a gamble based on Vera-Tucker’s availability, but if he can remain active, he should boost a Patriots offensive line that owned the NFL’s 13th-best grade in 2025.
Dl Levi Onwuzurike, Detroit Lions
It can be easy to overlook Onwuzurike on a talented Lions defense. However, Detroit will definitely welcome back his production in 2026 following an ACL tear suffered last July.
After assuming more of a rotational role across his first two seasons, Onwuzurike was a regular contributor in 2024 by appearing on a career-high 697 snaps. That increased volume led to better results: Onwuzurike sported a 70.2 overall PFF grade, generating 47 pressures in the process. In fact, his 11.9% pass-rush win rate tied for 13th among qualified interior defenders that season.
With D.J. Reader gone, the Lions’ interior defensive line primarily consists of Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams and the re-signed Onwuzurike. Given McNeill’s inferior pass-rushing production in 2025, Onwuzurike is in line to quietly play a massive role in the middle of Detroit’s defense — specifically, a group that tied for 13th in PFF pass-rushing grade.
WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
There were several interesting options in this final spot, including the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk and current free agent Joe Mixon. But given tremendous uncertainty surrounding health and/or contract situations, it’s a genuine unknown how much (if at all) either will play in 2026.
On the other hand, the circumstances finally appear to be trending upward for Beckham. After being released by the Dolphins during the 2024 campaign and being suspended for six games due to a performance-enhancing drug violation last year, he’s now back with the Giants on a one-year pact.
Beckham’s stint with Miami two years ago was a very forgettable one. He caught only nine passes for 55 yards across nine games, culminating in a career-worst 50.1 PFF receiving grade and 0.52 yards per route run. However, the former star was a reliable contributor for John Harbaugh’s Ravens in 2023 with a 77.0 receiving mark and 2.5% drop rate.
The two-time All-Pro being back in blue for the first time since 2018 is nostalgic in and of itself, but he should also have a legitimate shot at being a meaningful option in the passing game. With wideout Malik Nabers still recovering from an ACL and meniscus tear, Beckham is now part of a receiving corps that seems to lack every-down difference-makers through the first few weeks. It remains to be seen how effective the 33-year-old can still be in 2026, but targets are there to be seized from Jaxson Dart in New York.
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