World Cup 2026: NFL players at a crossroads who could have helped Team USA, including former All-Pro receivers

The United States’ Men’s National Team gripped the country with excitement for a few weeks after winning its 2026 World Cup group and opening knockout stage game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, all the hope came crashing down with a disappointing thud on Monday when Team USA crumbled in a 4-1 faceplant against Belgium in the Round of 16. Such a listless performance, which included goalie Matt Freese’s mind short-circuiting to allow the third Belgium goal of the match, opens the door for all types of creative problem-solving ideas. With soccer/football/fútbol being other countries’ most popular sport, they’re rolling out their nations’ top athletes. 

That simply isn’t the case in America where tackle football and basketball reign supreme, especially football. NFL games accounted for 83 of the United States’ top 100 most-watched broadcasts in 2025, per Sportico. It’s unrealistic to think some of the league’s top talent who are currently thriving would walk away from NFL stardom, but what about players whose respective careers have gone sideways, haven’t gotten off the ground or whose bodies could benefit from less wear and tear? 

Here’s a look at 11 NFL players who fit one of the three profiles listed above and could have helped out Team USA’s men’s soccer team in the World Cup.

Anthony Richardson

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 244
• Age: 24

Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, has not seen his NFL career turn out like he and many others would have hoped. In 2024, he was the ultimate boom-or-bust passer, becoming just the fourth player to rank dead last in the league in completion percentage (47.7%) and first in the NFL in yards per completion (14.4) in the same season. 

However, 2025 took a turn for the worse. He lost a quarterback competition to New York Giants castoff Daniel Jones and only threw two passes last season after suffering a freak eye injury in pregame warmups in Week 6. Richardson requested a trade this offseason, but what if he traded sports? 

Norway’s Erling Haaland stands at 6-5 while weighing 205 pounds, and his seven World Cup goals are tied for the second most in the tournament, ranking just one behind Lionel Messi’s eight. Richardson sliding in as the ultimate corner kick weapon with his header capabilities could have been interesting.

Kadarius Toney

• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 193
• Age: 27

Former NFL wide receiver Kadarius Toney is a speed demon. Toney, a 2021 first-round pick of the New York Giants, never fully panned out, but he did register the longest punt return in Super Bowl history (65 yards) but he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns, a stint that lasted just three games. His electric athleticism would be a welcome jolt for Team USA.  

Tyreek Hill

• Height: 5-10
• Weight: 191
• Age: 32

Tyreek Hill is the most accomplished player on this list as an eight-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, member of the 2010s All-Decade team and a Super Bowl LIV champion. He’s as explosive of an on-field playmaker as the NFL has ever seen: his 28 touchdowns of 50 yards or more rank as the fourth-most in NFL history. 

However, he did go down with a torn ACL and a dislocated knee last season in a Week 4 Miami Dolphins win over the New York Jets. If Hill can have a smooth recovery from his gruesome knee injury, his body could use less wear and tear going forward. It’s clear when watching some of the top scorers in the World Cup, like Messi and Haaland, that you can conserve plenty of energy in soccer. Those two will be almost walking on the field for long stretches before ratcheting up to high gear just when optimal scoring opportunities present themselves. Hill, a generational type of athlete, could benefit from a less strenuous toll on his body while still contributing flashes of explosiveness when goal-scoring opportunities arise. 

Xavier Legette  

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 227
• Age: 25

Xavier Legette, a 2024 first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, might be the most controversial player on this list given he’s just two years into his career, and he’s still projected to be a starter entering the 2026 season. However, he’s underperformed through two NFL seasons and struggled with both drops and route running early in his career. 

His early inability to break out led to the Panthers to select eventual 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. If he can’t get it together in 2026, his NFL prospects could begin to dim. Legette’s physicality would be a plus for Team USA. 

John Ross

• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 190
• Age: 30

Wide receiver John Ross ran his way into the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft. His 4.22 40-yard dash time ranked as the best in NFL Scouting Combine history for years until Xavier Worthy‘s 4.21 time dethroned him in 2024. His speed helped him become the ninth overall pick in 2017 by the Cincinnati Bengals, but his NFL career never got off the ground thanks to injuries. Ross played in just 38 games across six NFL seasons.

If he could stay healthy, his blazing speed could certainly give Team USA a boost.  

Curtis Samuel

• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 195
• Age: 29

The NFL was never able to fully maximize wide receiver Curtis Samuel‘s all-around skill set. Across his nine career seasons from 2017 to 2025, he racked up 3,717 yards receiving and 729 yards rushing. That makes him just one of five players in the NFL to accumulate 3,500-plus receiving yards and 700-plus rushing yards since 2017, joining Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Austin Ekeler and Deebo Samuel. Samuel is currently a free agent after the Buffalo Bills released him in March, and his versatility would certainly be welcomed on Team USA. 

Treylon Burks

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 225
• Age: 26

Wide receiver Treylon Burks never lived up to the massive expectations placed upon him at the start of his career. The Tennessee Titans traded away star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 offseason, and the Titans used the first-round pick they received in that trade, No. 18 overall, to select Burks. A litany of injuries derailed his Tennessee tenure, and he’s now competing for a starting wide receiver job with the Washington Commanders this offseason. 

Burks being encumbered to run more freely in a lower contact sport would be beneficial to both his body and Team USA. 

Malachi Corley

• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 215
• Age: 24

Malachi Corley, a 2024 third-round pick of the New York Jets, was once thought to be a promising weapon out of the slot for Aaron Rodgers in New York. However, Corley’s and Rodgers’ partnership failed to launch with the former being cut at the end of the 2025 preseason. Corley has since latched on with the Cleveland Browns, but the path to playtime seems nonexistent with the Browns spending high draft picks on two wide receivers in 2026: KC Concepcion (24th overall) and Denzel Boston (39th overall).

Trying his hand at soccer might be beneficial for both himself and Team USA. 

Jalen Milroe

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 216
• Age: 23

Jalen Milroe was a gripping watch as a dual threat quarterback at Alabama in college. His 71 total touchdowns in (39 passing, 32 rushing) his two seasons as a starter from 2023 to 2024 led the SEC as did his 23 turnovers. Milroe possesses top tier speed and agility, two qualities that would translate incredibly well to soccer. After being selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he’s been chained to the bench behind Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold. With the Seahawks winning a Super Bowl with Darnold as their starting quarterback, it would appear the only way Milroe sees the field is if Darnold succumbs to injury.

Milroe’s freakish athleticism that made him a favorite of all players of EA Sports’ “College Football 25″ would translate well to Team USA soccer. 

Taylen Green

• Height: 6-6
• Weight: 230
• Age: 23

Taylen Green is one of the most athletic players to enter the NFL in some time. He put up some big numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine after ranking No. 1 in college football since 2024 in plays of 10-plus yards (315) and 20-plus yards (109). His combine performance ranked as the second-best relative athletic score by a quarterback in combine history (9.99 out of 10). 

However, people are drooling over the prospect of him playing wide receiver instead of quarterback at the professional level since he registered 37 turnovers since 2024 since 2024 (20 interceptions, 17 fumbles) while big-play hunting instead of playing a more efficient brand of football. His combine metrics actually compared quite favorably to two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ absolute tank of a human being.  

Green could have a Haaland-like presence near the goal for Team USA when header opportunities arise instead of fighting through the NFL’s most chaotic quarterback room. 

DeAndre Hopkins 

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 210
• Age: 34

DeAndre Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro at his peak, is near the end of his incredibly successful NFL career. However, he could help Team USA out at the goalie position. NFL Media reported Hopkins’ glove size is XXXXL, and Hopkins himself said people have told him his wingspan is more in line with someone who is 6-8 or 6-9. 

Those qualities would make him a strong goalie. Team USA could use an upgrade there after Freese’s malfunction against Belgium.