As the 2022 NFL season officially gets underway, we check in with the most important position in all of sports to see who’s at the top and who’s on the hot seat.
1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
The back-to-back MVP can almost do no wrong in the regular season. He threw for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. Rodgers will be without his number one receiver Davante Adams but look for rookie receiver Christian Watson to impress with his unique combination of size and speed. Rodgers and LaFleur should still continue to move steadily through an improving NFC North. As for now, the MVP stays on top.
2. Tom Brady, Buccaneers
In what could be his last season (again), Brady returns to Tampa Bay for his age 45 season. Last season Brady threw for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, coming minutes away from another Super Bowl appearance. He will once again have star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, however, his longtime running mate Rob Gronkowski will not be in the mix. Assuming he stays healthy, Brady and the Bucs should easily win a relatively weak NFC South.
3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Losing wide receiver Tyreek Hill could change everything for Mahomes and the Chiefs. Mahomes is still young and healthy but could be forced to execute more of a “dink and dunk” offense this year without the threat of Hill on the field. His arm talent still rivals anyone and head coach Andy Reid will surely continue to put together one of the best offensive systems in the NFL. Last season Mahomes put up 4,839 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. This year, he’ll have to limit the turnover worth plays and could rely heavily on tight end Travis Kelce.
4. Josh Allen, Bills
Given his situation, Allen is in a prime spot to move all the way up this list to number 1 very soon. There’s very little that he doesn’t excel at on the football field. He can cut back on the turnovers here and there but his all-around offensive production keeps them in every game they play. In 2021, Allen had 4,407 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. With a full cast of weapons for him to throw to in his fifth season, it’s no wonder why Allen is an early MVP favorite.
5. Russell Wilson, Broncos
Heading into a new system built completely around him in Denver, it finally looks like we’ll get to see “Russ cook”. Outside of Peyton Manning, no one has won more games in their first ten seasons than Russell Wilson. The soon to be 34 year old missed games for the first time due to injury in his career last season, where he threw for 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. With a plethora of young weapons including Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, Wilson will look to return to form in what could be the most talented division in the history of the NFL.
6. Justin Herbert, Chargers
Already the third AFC West quarterback on the list, Justin Herbert is a stellar talent. If he can clean up the turnovers and, most importantly, make the playoffs, Herbert could easily find his way into the top 5. Last year, he threw for 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while just barely missing the playoffs. Similar to Josh Allen, his supporting cast could help vault him into the MVP race early this season.
7. Joe Burrow, Bengals
Burrow’s sophomore campaign ended with an unlikely Super Bowl appearance after throwing for 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. With a revamped offensive line and another year with Chase, Higgins, and Boyd catching passes, Burrow could ascend into the elite of the elite. His main challenge this year will be continuing his success and proving that the Bengals’ 2021 playoff run wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
8. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Jackson is looking to come out in 2022 and show the Ravens why they should offer him the big contract that many of his peers are getting. He is known for his game-breaking speed and is a proven winner but has yet to play a full season. He may need to rely on his arm more this year as last year he only played in 12 games but threw for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while rushing for 767 yards and 2 touchdowns. If he stays healthy, Jackson should be in for a very big payday and a good chance at the Super Bowl he promised when he was drafted.
9. Matthew Stafford, Rams
The reigning Super Bowl champion has a new weapon in Allen Robinson along with the 2021 Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. Stafford had a fantastic season last year but did have one glaring issue, he led the league in interceptions. He finished the year with the highest interception percentage of his career since his rookie year but finished with the stat line of 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. If he can clean up the turnovers, the Rams could easily finish back atop the NFC West on the back of Stafford’s experience and stellar arm talent.
10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
The Cowboys shipped number one receiver Amari Cooper to Cleveland but expect CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup to pick up the slack. Prescott is a very efficient player that has just seemed to fall short of a big playoff run. He had an impressive 2021 campaign, throwing for 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Heading into his seventh season, Prescott hopes to continue his excellent play behind a regressing offensive line. His arm and his leadership should help carry the Cowboys in a wide-open NFC East this year.
11. Deshaun Watson, Browns
12. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
13. Derek Carr, Raiders
14. Kirk Cousins, Vikings
15. Matt Ryan, Colts
16. Jameis Winston, Saints
17. Mac Jones, Patriots
18. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
19. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
20. Trey Lance, 49ers
21. Ryan Tannehill, Titans
22. Carson Wentz, Commanders
23. Baker Mayfield, Panthers
24. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
25. Mitch Trubisky, Steelers
26. Zach Wilson, Jets
27. Jared Goff, Lions
28. Davis Mills, Texans
29. Justin Fields, Bears
30. Marcus Mariota, Falcons
31. Daniel Jones, Giants
32. Geno Smith, Seahawks
