Oh, hello there. Welcome to the weekend!
This time of the NFL offseason sucks. Plain and simple, folks. There is nothing but debates and discussions on who’s better than who, what team is better than the other– blah, blah, blah. BORING!
Sure, we’ll have a few exciting moments here and there. We may end up seeing a couple of trades involving quarterbacks this summer. Not ALL of it is boring…but it’s mostly dull and people are starving for football as of today, June 25th, 2022.
Well, I know I said that debates and discussions are boring. However, this week on Football Thoughts, I will be giving you my top ten quarterbacks entering the 2022 NFL regular season.
My thought process into these rankings is strictly personal preference and from what I’ve seen on film. Rankings of any position always get people talking because they’re either controversial or just flat-out awful.
What you’re about to see are the best QB rankings anyone has seen for the upcoming regular season (or it’s a pile of you-know-what). Before diving in, I want to clarify that Browns QB Deshaun Watson will not be in these rankings whatsoever due to his legal issues off the field.
With that said, here are my top ten QBs heading into the upcoming season. All complaints should and will be directed at my good friend, Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson), thank you.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
This was an easy one for me. No one has dominated the NFL over the last three to four years at the QB position than Patrick Mahomes. He has one of the best physical skill sets in NFL history and has put that talent on display every Sunday during the fall and in the playoffs.
The 2018 league MVP’s arm talent is one of the rarest out there and he can throw from any angle off any platform. He displays elite out-of-structure ability and always seems to come through when his team needs him to. While he did throw a career-high 13 interceptions this past season, Mahomes is only getting better and should improve next season despite not having Tyreek Hill as his go-to target anymore.
Mahomes has already hit 50 career wins with nearly 20,000 career passing yards and 151 passing touchdowns for his career. As long as he can keep slinging the rock as he has so far in his career, Mahomes is well on his way to being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen showed the world in the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against Kansas City that he’s here to stay as one of the best QBs in the league and that his 2020 campaign was not a fluke. Allen has one of the best skill sets for a QB I’ve ever seen. His arm might be better than Mahomes and is a much better athlete than #15. His ability as a runner is another element for teams to deal with every week.
The crazy thing is…he’s entering his 5th year in the NFL and he is just touching the surface of what type of player he can truly become at the next level. There will be one year down the road where Josh Allen will have a year so great that he will be the best QB in football. That time could be as soon as this season as the Bills are in a position to be one of the favorites to win it all in 2022-23.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
At 38 years old, Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best and most gifted quarterbacks in the NFL. However, you have to wonder if his physical talent will fade off anytime soon.
While we wait for that to happen (if it ever does), Rodgers is coming off back-to-back MVPs and continues to show off an absurd touchdown to interception ratio. He’s thrown 85 touchdowns and only NINE interceptions in the last two years. His career TD:INT ratio is 449:93. So, yeah, Rodgers doesn’t turn the ball over very often.
There’s not a lot to say about Rodgers as a player and his production throughout his career. It all speaks for itself. It would not surprise me to see him win his third consecutive MVP and the fifth of his H.O.F. career.
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
I was very tempted to put Justin Herbert over Aaron Rodgers. Herbert is well on his way to being a terrific QB and one of the faces of the NFL.
Herbert was not exactly a draft-darling in 2020 with plenty of pundits calling him a “work-in-progress” and coming into the league with red flags that really weren’t. Everyone knew the physical talent he possesses, though no one knew what he offered between the ears.
In his rookie year, Herbert threw for more than 4,300 yards and 31 touchdowns while displaying a high level of football IQ for the position. Last season, Herbert finished second in passing yards with just over 5,000 while tossing 38 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.
Herbert and the Chargers just missed the playoffs last season. Their run defense has improved on paper and most of the offense from last season returns. Herbert has now shown to be an elite quarterback and his play has done the talking the last two seasons. That record-breaking contract is well on its way.
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Last season, Joe Burrow became one of the definitions of a QB you can win games with because of him. Last season, Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals– along with a bad offensive line and below-average head coach– within three points of delivering the city of Cincinnati its first Lombardi Trophy.
What we saw late in the season and throughout the playoffs was reminiscent of the quarterback we saw dominate the college football landscape in 2019. Burrow doesn’t have a very strong arm. Yet, he offers elite football IQ, pocket awareness, plenty of mobility to make plays with his legs, and high-level accuracy on every level of the field. I’m confident enough to say Burrow is indeed one of the five best players at his position right now.
The Bengals improved some along the offensive line and still have plenty of their starters back from a season ago on both sides of the ball. It would not surprise me to see them win the AFC North once again in 2022 and make another deep post-season run (yes, even with Zac Taylor as head coach), and I expect Joe Burrow to be one of the biggest reasons why.
6. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I think this is another player whose stats, play, and accolades speak for themselves. We all know what and who Tom Brady is a player. He’s the greatest of all time and initially retired for a month after coming off a career year in passing yards at age 44.
Now, back out of retirement, Brady enters his age-45 season having already proven enough of what he is: the G.O.A.T. There is no doubt in my mind Brady has plenty left in the tank, and if his play from a year ago showed anything, it’s that he’s still going to be an elite-level quarterback.
Hopefully, for fans and teams alike, this will be his final year. If it is, let’s appreciate his greatness.
7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
I feel like this will be the more controversial ranking on this list, so far. Though, I think this is a perfect spot for Lamar Jackson.
I understand the criticism towards him as a passer. Yes, Jackson is never going to be the most accurate. He’s never going to have perfect footwork in the pocket. That’s OK! Though, he’s not as bad of a passer as some make it out to believe. Jackson offers a great arm that can zip passes into tight windows and does show plenty of accuracy on all levels of the field. He has shown the ability to put his team on his back and lead them to victory (see the overtime win against the Colts last season).
Jackson is the best running quarterback in the league and is well on his way to being the best to ever do it for the type of player he is. He’s a former league MVP who will probably end up winning one or two more during his career. One day, the Ravens will decide to run a more competent offense that will allow Jackson to showcase his abilities as a passer to the fullest extent. Jackson, in my mind, is without a doubt of the most gifted QBs in the NFL and solidly one of the ten best at his position.
8. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
When healthy, Russell Wilson is without a doubt one of the best QBs in football. Now, Denver has that guy and the roster to compete with the Chiefs in the AFC.
Wilson isn’t a perfect QB. He always seems to have an amazing start to the season before the passing attack completely breaks down. I think a little bit of that has to do with some of Wilson’s decision-making and his aggressiveness as a QB, and Seattle having a poorly run offense all the time.
Now in Denver with Nathanial Hackett as head coach, Wilson might be able to play with more consistency towards the later portion of the season. There will be bumps in the road with a new team, a new offense, and different weapons than what Wilson was used to in Seattle, this being why he’s lower on this list. Though, I expect him to ease in throughout the year and play at an elite level.
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
You could certainly make a case for Dak Prescott is one of the five best QBs in football. I think his play from the last few seasons has shown plenty that he’s been playing at a high level. Unfortunately, there are a lot of good QBs in this league. Putting him at No. 9 was hard, believe me.
Each season of his career, Prescott has improved his upper and lower body mechanics and the play on the field has translated from that. He offers a great arm and accuracy and the mobility that makes defenses account for his legs.
I don’t think losing Amari Cooper will hurt Dak too much. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup are still there as well as Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott, and Tony Pollard (FEED POLLARD DANG IT). The Cowboys will have plenty of weapons for Prescott to utilize and this team should be back atop the NFC East again in 2022.
10. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The defending Super Bowl champion quarterback rounds out my list of the top 10 quarterbacks heading into the season. Matthew Stafford seemed to have been the one final piece to the puzzle for the Los Angeles Rams in their effort to get back to the Super Bowl after coming up short in 2018-19.
Stafford will throw plenty of interceptions, that’s just the nature of the type of game he plays: he’s a gunslinger who will be aggressive in pushing the ball downfield. He’s not everyone’s type of QB and that’s OK! He still has one of the best arms in the league and is talented enough to elevate an offense to new heights, as we saw last year with the Rams’ offense last season.
Stafford has always been an above-average QB, one that was just good enough to win you football games because of. Entering his 14th season in the NFL and having just signed a 4-year, $160M extension, Stafford still has plenty left in the tank and as long as he stays healthy, the Rams will be just fine.
Just missing the cut…
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Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals – It was hard keeping the 3rd-year QB out of Oklahoma off this list, but the end to his 2021 season was less than ideal. While having one of the most unique skill sets at his position, Murray is still a work in progress when it comes to MOF work, progressions, and taking what’s in front of him instead of trying to play hero ball. Having his former No. 1 receiver from college, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, could help. Maybe Rondale Moore steps up to the plate in DeAndre Hopkins’ absence. Entering his 4th-year, Murray has plenty more to prove before getting a massive extension, in my opinion.
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Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders – Derek Carr has always been either in the mid-tier range of starting QBs or in the 8-12/good QB range. An argument can be made that Carr is definitely one of the ten best players at his position and I wouldn’t fault anyone for thinking that. This past season was arguably Carr’s best. He finally wasn’t afraid to push the ball downfield! Jokes aside, Carr is a QB I’d take on my team any day. He offers consistent mechanics, good football IQ, pocket awareness, and plenty of mobility to work off-script. With Davante Adams at wide receiver and an improved offense from a year ago, look for Carr to have another great year in Vegas.
