NFL Quarterback Rankings Heading Into The 2022 Season

Several of the league’s top quarterbacks are on new teams, a few have gained weapons, while a few have lost some. Entering the 2022 NFL Season, let’s rank the top ten quarterbacks in the league.

10) Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys, even with an elite offense and young defensive stars do not match the teams like the Rams, Bucs, Packers, 49ers and others in terms of recent success. Not to mention, no one would argue Dallas’ coaching even meets the levels of the ones in LA, Tampa Bay, or even San Francisco. Despite this, Dak Prescott has made good work with his offensive weapons and led Dallas back to the top of the NFC East in 2021. In his first game back from his 2020 ankle injury, Prescott was close to upsetting Tom Brady and the then defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in Week one. Prescott’s play would tease him early on as a potential MVP candidate and what cut his train down on the Cowboys’ winning streak was him not being 100 percent after returning from injury. His incredible play when healthy puts him above names like Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, and Kyler Murray. Entering the 2022 season, Prescott comes out with something to prove.

9) Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott at nine and 10 could go either way. In his first season with an elite supporting cast, Matt Stafford won his first Super Bowl, and had an incredible postseason run as quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford is coming off a season where he threw for over 40 touchdowns and a three-touchdown performance in the Super Bowl. Now with a Super Bowl ring, Stafford is certainly a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, and his impressive playoff run gives him the edge over Prescott.

8) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Like Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson played like an MVP before going down with an injury. While the Ravens would ultimately miss the playoffs, Lamar’s injury should not disqualify him from putting him where he belongs in these quarterback discussions. At his best, we saw Lamar win NFL MVP (the second unanimous winner in NFL history with Tom Brady in 2007). Jackson, who could potentially receive an extension from the Ravens soon, has more to prove, particularly if he can win big games in the postseason. With one playoff win to his name, Lamar is poised for a big return, and when healthy, he is a lock as a top-10 quarterback in the game.

7) Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

Since winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and almost repeating in 2014 before a game-losing Malcolm Butler interception, Russell Wilson has turned from a young talented quarterback on a team of stars to a leader and one of the game’s elite passers. Wilson carried subpar Seattle Seahawks teams into the playoffs in recent years, and before going down with an injury this year, he hadn’t missed a game in his NFL career, which started in 2012. Wilson has one of the best deep balls in the game, and what held the nine-time Pro Bowler back from recent playoff success was a lack of offensive help and protection. In Denver, Russ won’t have to worry about a lack of weapons on offense, and while he is in arguably the hardest division of football, he is more than capable of achieving success with a talented Broncos team.

6) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

*Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK*

One can argue that if the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line was not such a mess in the most important parts of the season, the Bengals could have won their Super Bowl matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having a very weak o-line in Super Bowl 56, Burrow’s postseason heroics were showing. His previous heroics included overcoming a 21-3 deficit on the road against Patrick Mahomes the back-to-back defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs in a nail-biting overtime thriller in the AFC Championship Game. The week before, Burrow would lead the Bengals to a victory on the road against the top-seed Tennesse Titans. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase’s chemistry on the Bengals have quickly turned both into superstar names, and with an offensive line now, Burrow can continue to play like an elite quarterback.

5) Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen was playing at an all-time impressive level in the playoffs on the road against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs before ultimately losing in overtime 42-36. If Allen saw the ball in overtime first, many believe Buffalo would have won instead of Kansas City. While the Bills went from 13-3 in the 2020 regular season to 11-6 in the 2021 regular season, Allen’s best play this year came late in the regular season into the postseason. He led Buffalo to a blowout 47-17 win over the divisional rival New England Patriots during Super Wild Card Weekend before putting on a show in the Divisional Round in Kansas City. Allen’s abilities and leadership are also among his many elite qualities, and he is one of the quarterbacks in the top tier.

4) DeShaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

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This ranking was very complicated given DeShaun Watson’s current situation and the fact that we haven’t seen him play since the 2020 season with the Houston Texans (Watson’s former team). If he ends up getting suspended and misses a second straight season, then a position on this list does not apply, but when healthy, Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Before losing superstar receiver and long-time college and NFL teammate DeAndre Hopkins, Watson was in the playoffs and at one point up 24-0 in Kansas City against Patrick Mahomes and the Cheifs during their Super Bowl run (we all know what happened shortly after). Watson’s talents with his arms and legs are matched by very few and if he plays with the Cleveland Browns this year, their talented team can do some things.

3) Patrick mahomes, kansas City Chiefs

During this past season, the Kansas City Cheifs were not their usual selves over mid-way into the season. They saw themselves at 6-4 and at one point, Patrick Mahomes was the league leader in interceptions. Prior to their 31-9 blowout loss in Super Bowl 55 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chiefs had never really played at the low levels they showed at several points last year. Still, the team managed to turn things around, and in a high-tense playoff game where Josh Allen was looking unstoppable, Mahomes’s stellar play all night long ended up getting Kansas City the victory in overtime. Even though his season ended on a costly interception in overtime of the AFC Championship game, Patrick Mahomes is still a universal talent and one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

2) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers getting this spot over top names like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen has a lot to do with the fact that he is the reigning back-to-back NFL MVP. Rodgers is coming off of an incredibly impressive 37-4 touchdown-interception season, and at this point even though it’s crazy for anyone, such a low interception quantity is normal for Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has done things no one can with a football and he has impressively led the Green Bay Packers to 13-win seasons for the past three seasons, and back-to-back number one seeds. What holds the four-time NFL MVP back from the top spot is how the season once again ended with a disappointing early playoff exit.

1) Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady was seconds away from adding another comeback story to his long list in the 2021 NFL Playoffs. Brady’s Bucs were down 27-3 at home to the Los Angeles Rams, and even with star young tackle Tristan Wirfs out, Brady miraculously led Tampa Bay on a run that would tie the game 27-27 in just a three-minute span. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, defensive coverage would be blown on a Stafford to Cooper Kupp pass that set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal as the clock ran out. While the Bucs ended the season in disappointment, Brady showed that despite being 44, he can play out of this world whenever his team needs him to. In 2021, Brady led the league in touchdowns, completion percentage, and passing yards. If Tampa’s ugly 9-0 Week 15 loss to the New Orleans Saints happened sooner, Brady could have ended up winning his fourth NFL MVP, as he finished second in voting in 2021.