The NFL in 2022 feels like a changing of the guard season at the Quarterback position. For the last decade the league was dominated by guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson. There were some young guys showing their talent across the league though. Josh Allen in Buffalo, Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and Joe Burrow in Cincinnati have all flashed in big ways. But this year the old guard seems to have stepped aside in favor of the young guys. Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts and even Geno Smith have elevated their play this year to levels some thought they would never see. A decade from now we will look back on the 2022 season and draw a line in the sand that this was the year the mantle was passed.
Looking at the top 10 NFL quarterbacks in 2022 a great starting point is looking at the top scoring offenses. The oldest Quarterback leading a top-10 scoring offense this year is Kirk Cousins. He is 34 years-old. With that said, Minnesota is 15th in yards per game. So they are scoring, but not necessarily a consistently performing offense. Miami Dolphins quarterback is now one of the top 10 NFL Quarterbacks, as is Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. Has Justin Fields done enough over the last 3 weeks to put himself in the top 10 NFL Quarterbacks list? Is Jared Goff leading a surprisingly good Lions offense in the top 10? I will take recent form into considerations. However the entirety of 2022 is the only season taken into account. Congrats Tom on all your Super Bowls. But they will not help you here. This is the top 10 NFL Quarterbacks.
10. Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Buccaneers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL this season. Most of that is not on Brady. Brady has 10 TDs to just 1 INT. He is 3rd in the league in passing yards per game among starters. He leads the league in passing attempts and is still completing over 65% of his passes. He is not the player that can erase massive holes on the offense, but he is still one of the best in the league.
9. Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
(Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images)
Herbert really came onto the scene in 2021. He looks great in and out of the pocket and is starting to look like a poor man’s Josh Allen. He is 5th in the league in passing yards per game. Has thrown 13 TDs which is good enough for T-9. He is putting up solid numbers while throwing to backup Wide Receivers. Once Mike Williams and Keenan Allen come back I expect his numbers to improve.
8. Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Just off talent alone I don’t think Kirk Cousins is a top 10 Quarterback. However, the stats are the stats. The Vikings are loaded on offense and Cousins is asked to just distribute the ball to those talented players. He is still T9 in the league in TD passes, and his team is 7-1 with their only loss coming to Philadelphia in week 2. Kirk is doing enough to win games, and that is good enough for me.
7. Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
I still can’t believe what I am seeing out of Geno Smith this season. I forgot he was in the league to be honest. But kudos to him, Pete Carroll, and the entire Seahawks organization for answering the bell. Smith is 3rd the in the league in Passer Rating and 4th in the league in QBR. He has a 15:4 TD to INT ratio, and is top of the league in completion percentage. And he is 6th in the league with 2,199 yards. His team is also 6-3 and 1st in the NFC West- a division nobody gave Seattle a shot at winning at the beginning of the year.
6. Joe Burrow
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
It seems like the early season woes of the Bengals offense have been fixed. However Burrow has not been consistent enough to be in the top 5. He is 5th in Passer Rating while being 14th in QBR- the ESPN metric of measuring Quarterback play. Burrow’s 18 passing TDs is 3rd in the league behind Mahomes and Allen- pretty good company. His 70% completion percentage is 2nd best among starters in the league. His 30 sacks need to improve- not all on him obviously.
5. Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Anyone remember the Wild Card game in Tampa last season? Hurts could not throw the ball and the Eagles were played off the field in Tampa. Fast forward to 2022 and Jalen Hurts is leading a 8-0 Eagles team that has very few weaknesses. Hurts has the 2nd best Passer Rating and the 6th best QBR. He’s thrown 12 TDs to just 2 INTs. Hurts is top 5 in completion percentage as well. He has also accounted for 6 rushing touchdowns this season and 326 rushing yards.
4. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Can this guy just get his money already? Once again the Ravens have been hit hard by the injury bug with Rashad Bateman done for the season and Mark Andrews being at full strength. Yet he still puts up crazy numbers. He’s 5th in the league in QBR and 8th in Passer Rating. 4th in passing TDs with 16 and adding another 5 rushing TDs and almost 600 yards on the ground. He shows his worth to the Ravens organization week in and week out. He needs to get paid!
3. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Tua is #1 in Passer Rating and QBR. He has 15 TDs in just 7 games played- still tied for 5th in the league. He is pushing the ball down the field this year too, ranking 1st in average yards per attempt at 9.2. He is 4th in the league among starters in yards per game. He has thrown just 3 picks this season as well. Is it Tua, Mike McDaniel, Hill and Waddle? It’s a combination of all 3 factors. However Tua is holding up his side of things. The Miami Dolphins are a Super Bowl contender with Tua under Center.
2. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
You can flip flop 1 and 2 depending on recent form. Josh Allen leads the best passing attack in football. He is 2nd in the league with 19 TDs- and has added another 4 rushing touchdowns. He is second in the league in yards per game. He is 7th in Passer Rating and 4th in QBR. The stats might not be as gaudy as some thought they would be at the start of the season, but this guy is undoubtedly one of the best in the world throwing the ball.
1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
What can you say negative about Patrick Mahomes? He leads the league in passing yards, yards per game, and passing TDs. He’s completing 66.2% of his passes in a year where Travis Kelce is one of the only guys he has had previous success with. No Tyreek Hill- n problem for Mahomes. This guy is the best Quarterback in the NFL right now.
