NFL Power Rankings: The AFC is absolutely loaded at the quarterback position and got even better in 2022. We rank all 16 starters.
The NFL landscape has changed dramatically already in the 2022 offseason. The Denver Broncos made a trade to acquire Russell Wilson that set the NFL world ablaze. It’s been one blockbuster move after another ever since for the rest of the league, including another recent blockbuster by the Cleveland Browns to acquire Deshaun Watson.
And there are still more moves yet to come.
How dramatically did the Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson trades change the quarterback landscape in the AFC? Let’s take a look at every starting QB in the conference and rank them from worst to best.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 16: Zach Wilson, New York Jets
The New York Jets had better hope for progression from Zach Wilson in the 2022 season.
They’re not just hoping for it — they are banking on it.
Wilson was the second overall pick by the Jets in a pretty good quarterback Draft class that included (players that were available to the Jets) Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Davis Mills.
Wilson had arguably the worst rookie season of them all, completing less than 56 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games.
Dealing with injuries is nothing new for Wilson, which is part of the concern for him going forward. Wilson needs better protection, which the Jets went out and invested in, signing free agent Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson.
They also got Wilson some outlets at tight end in CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin.
Wide receiver will still need to be addressed at some point but pieces are in place for Wilson to make a year two jump.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 15: Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are finally moving on from Ben Roethlisberger.
Big Ben’s retirement prompted the Steelers to go out in free agency and prioritize Mitchell Trubisky, the former second overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Although Trubisky was the QB1 of the 2017 NFL Draft class, he’s now become a reclamation project.
The terms of Trubisky’s deal with the Steelers — two years, $14.2 million — seem to indicate that this team is primed for drafting someone to compete or take over the job as a rookie.
In the meantime, Trubisky seems like a worthwhile dart throw for the Steelers. Maybe they are looking for some kind of Ryan Tannehill situation to happen for Trubisky, or maybe they’re hoping that whatever rookie comes in can be the “Russell Wilson” to Trubisky’s “Matt Flynn” if you catch my drift.
Trubisky is still under 30. He’s a good athlete with all of the right physical tools.
Most people seem to think Matt Nagy was a primary issue in Chicago and if that’s really the case, then it stands to reason that he could succeed and even thrive in an environment like what is set up in Pittsburgh.
For now, however, the jury is out, and the Steelers are not in an enviable situation right now by any stretch.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 14: Davis Mills, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans just made one of the biggest trades in recent NFL memory.
Prior to the 2021 season, most people felt that Deshaun Watson was on pace to become an annual MVP candidate for Houston.
That sandcastle has been completely washed away, and the Houston Texans are into year two of a complete reset as a franchise.
Despite the fact that the team exceeded expectations pretty much unanimously in 2022, David Culley was fired. The Texans still kept some continuity, hiring Lovie Smith as their head coach and retaining Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator.
Hamilton, the QBs coach in 2021, is credited with helping young Davis Mills develop and put forth a rather impressive rookie season given the fact that he barely started at all in college and was a third-round pick.
What Mills showed in 2021 was absolutely worth another dart throw in 2022 as the Texans start from scratch at the position.
He showed some really nice accuracy, poise, ability to make throws under pressure, and he put up very similar numbers to those of Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins last year.
The only reason Mills is beneath Tagovailoa on this list, as a matter of fact, is purely skepticism. But the ranking for those two players was a coin flip.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 13: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins’ offseason started off with some pretty surprising drama.
After a couple of winning seasons (with no playoffs), the Dolphins made the stunning decision to fire head coach Brian Flores.
In his place, they hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel has brought a very unique energy to the NFL head coach club, and his offensive expertise is expected to take Tua Tagovailoa to new heights.
For the Dolphins’ sake, it had better work out.
Tagovailoa has not been very good in his first two NFL seasons, but as a former top draft pick, the front office is committed to seeing his development through.
The tools have always been there for Tagovailoa, but consistency has not. Health has also always been a question mark for the former Alabama star.
The next step for Tua is going to be proving he can be a difference-maker every week for the Dolphins. As of right now, he’s been more of a game manager (if that) and that’s not why you invest a top-10 draft pick in the player.
The hope for the Dolphins lies with the fact that the team has done more winning than losing when Tagovailoa is under center. It also lies in the fact that the Dolphins’ offensive staff has simply not been consistent and the hope with McDaniel, obviously, is that the right support and structure will be in place for Tagovailoa to thrive.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 12: The Indianapolis Colts’ situation
As of the time this post is being written, all the Indianapolis Colts have at the quarterback position is hope that they might acquire Baker Mayfield.
Apparently, Mayfield would like to be with the Colts, so they need to figure out a way to make it happen.
The Colts could also still eventually be in on Jimmy Garoppolo, but he’s also rehabbing from offseason surgery and won’t be able to practice until later in the Summer.
I have a pretty strong sense that the Colts will land one of Mayfield or Garoppolo, which puts them firmly in this spot on this particular kind of list. I think Mayfield is good enough to get them to the playoffs, and I think Garoppolo is as well.
Garoppolo may not move the needle quite as much, but both of those players could be an upgrade in Frank Reich’s offense over Carson Wentz, who was dealt to the Washington Commanders.
I don’t love the situation the Colts are in here but if Mayfield is acquired, they have the potential to be at least a couple of spots up in the quarterback NFL Power Rankings.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 11: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans deserve a ton of respect for the success they have had as a team over the last handful of years.
In the middle of the 2019 season, the Titans made the difficult but necessary decision to pull former top draft pick Marcus Mariota from a game against the Denver Broncos, and insert Tannehill.
Tannehill has since become a big-money contract quarterback and deservedly so. The Titans have a pretty outstanding record of 30-13 over the last three seasons with Tannehill as their starter, and they’ve won a couple of playoff games with him as well.
It speaks both to the depth of the quarterback talent in the AFC that Tannehill doesn’t even crack the top 10, and it also speaks to the fact that he’s just not quite there in terms of being the type of player at the position that you can make a deep run with.
In some respects, Tannehill feels like the AFC version of what Jimmy Garoppolo has been for the 49ers over the last three years.
In the right structure, he’s thriving. When it’s up to him to be the tide that raises all boats? That’s a different story.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 10: Mac Jones, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots sat back in the 2021 NFL Draft and got their guy as Alabama quarterback Mac Jones fell right into their laps.
Although Jones is not spectacular in terms of his arm talent or athleticism, he showed at Alabama that he can process at a high level and distribute the ball to his playmakers at every level of the field.
He was able to do that right away in the NFL under Josh McDaniels, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first NFL season.
The major question mark heading into year two is — how will Jones adjust to life without McDaniels?
McDaniels is back in the AFC West, getting hired on by the Las Vegas Raiders and already making a massive trade to acquire Davante Adams.
Jones is still waiting for the Patriots to make any sort of move at the wide receiver position at all and they don’t have an offensive coordinator specified at this point, either.
We’ll see what happens for Jones in year two, but he was very solid as a rookie, maybe the best rookie quarterback in the league in 2021.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 9: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Admittedly, this one is a projection.
Lawrence did not have a great rookie season for the Jaguars, although he had his moments.
It’s hard to look at the situation he was in with the Jaguars and really fault him, though.
The Urban Meyer situation was a complete disaster. The Jaguars rightfully moved on from Meyer after just one horrendous season and it’s likely he’ll never coach in the NFL again.
Now, the Jaguars lucked into hiring Doug Pederson as their next head coach after what appeared to be a discombobulated and disorganized search in general.
That hire could wind up being one of the most fortuitous hires in the NFL as the Jaguars managed to land the only coach with a Super Bowl win as a head coach on this year’s circuit.
With Pederson in the fold, Lawrence’s stock goes way up, in my opinion. There’s no question about the fact that he needs to show dramatic improvement in 2022 after throwing 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Some of those interceptions came in the “bad decision” department but every interception tells a story. Don’t be shocked if Lawrence is one of the most improved players overall in the NFL in 2022.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 8: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It might be shocking to see one of the recent league MVPs this far down the list, but that’s where things are at right now with Lamar Jackson.
The former MVP is coming off of his worst season as an NFL player, and it’s not particularly close.
His touchdown percentage was down from 9.2 in his MVP season to 4.2 percent in 2021. His interception percentage was up from 1.5 percent in his MVP season to 3.4 percent in 2021.
And both of those figures are with slightly fewer passing attempts overall.
Jackson remains one of the league’s most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks but as of right now, his future projection remains on pause. In case you want to argue that, take it up with the Baltimore Ravens, who up to this point refuse to pay Jackson a long-term contract while many of his peers in the league get extensions and massive new deals.
While Jackson awaits a new contract, he’s going to have to go out and prove himself in 2022 for the Ravens.
The Ravens need to know that if Jackson is asked to do more at the QB position and take even more on his shoulders that they are still going to be a Super Bowl contender.
I expect him to bounce back in a big way this season and reclaim his franchise QB status with a long-term extension.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 7: Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Over the last couple of seasons, all anyone has wanted to talk about is how Derek Carr could be on his way out of the Raiders organization.
Clearly, the Raiders could upgrade.
Clearly, they love the incoming rookie class.
Clearly, they could go a different direction and be better off.
While those conversations have been happening with the media and talking heads, Carr has quietly ascended. He may not be on the highest tier of quarterbacks in the NFL, but there is very little question about the fact that he’s a difference-maker at the position and someone the Raiders can truly build around.
With all of the quarterback movement happening in 2022, the Raiders sat out. They dug their heels in on Derek Carr, even with a new regime.
Now, Carr has been rewarded with the best supporting actor in his underdog story. Davante Adams is coming to the Raiders in 2022 and giving Carr a truly elite WR1, someone he has great chemistry with dating back to their time together at Fresno State.
There’s very little question about the fact that this move propels the Raiders, but it could also take Carr’s game to new heights as well.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 6: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Although we haven’t seen anything from Deshaun Watson since the 2020 season, he is still capable of being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, much less the AFC.
It will be fascinating to see how Watson’s game is affected — if at all — by everything that has transpired over the last year.
He’s still obviously young and with massive upside on the field. At last we saw him and the Texans, things were going incredibly poorly but Watson was pulling his weight, at least statistically.
He threw for over 4,800 yards and 33 touchdowns as the Texans lost 12 games in 2020.
The way the Texans were being run at the time caused Watson to demand a trade. The Texans obviously refused, but that was before all of the allegations of sexual misconduct came to light.
Houston and the rest of the NFL waited for the entire 2021 season while the legal situation played out, and once it was determined that there would be no criminal charges against Watson, the ball started rolling on his NFL future.
The Cleveland Browns won the bidding war for his services, paying him a wild and unprecedented $230 million guaranteed contract over the next five years.
Talk about the potential of risk with whatever “reward” the Browns are able to get with Watson’s on-field play.
Clearly, they believe that he can help them win a Super Bowl quickly and keep them in contention for the foreseeable future.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 5: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
As incredible as Justin Herbert has been over the last two seasons for the Chargers, Los Angeles has failed to make it to the playoffs.
Their in-city counterparts in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams, just won the Super Bowl.
The pressure is on for the Chargers to compete right away, which is why they re-signed Mike Williams to a massive deal, traded for pass rusher Khalil Mack to pair up with Joey Bosa, and signed arguably the best free agent cornerback in 2022 in former Patriots cornerback JC Jackson.
The Chargers are doing everything they possibly can to surround Herbert with the best talent possible, and keeping up with the loaded AFC West is easier said than done these days.
Herbert has been incredible since coming into the league in 2020.
He was the QB3 of a draft class that also included Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, but he has been one of the most dynamic passers in the entire NFL since he got onto the field after an issue with the Chargers’ team doctor and Tyrod Taylor.
That feels like a lifetime ago as Herbert has now established himself as a legitimate threat to win the NFL MVP award at some point in the near future and he’s given the Chargers a legitimate shot to win the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl.
In his first two seasons, he’s thrown for 9,350 yards, 69 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions while rushing for eight touchdowns and also engineering eight game-winning drives.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 4: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow almost became the first player to win the Heisman, win the NCAA Championship, and win the Super Bowl.
He nearly accomplished that in a matter of two calendar years and at this point, the sky is the limit for what this young superstar is capable of.
After missing some of his rookie season with a brutal knee injury, Burrow came back with a vengeance in 2021.
The Bengals did not start off hot, but they turned up the heat over the course of the season and became the NFL’s hottest team in the months of December and January.
They were the AFC’s team of destiny and they were winning with an outstanding balance on both sides of the ball.
Burrow’s ability to make clutch plays was a key reason why the Bengals were in the position they were as AFC Champions in 2021. He had three game-winning drives in the regular season followed by two game-winning drives in the playoffs, as well as some memorable moments like avoiding a sack from Chris Jones in Kansas City to extend a drive.
Burrow’s pocket poise, accuracy, and killer instinct will keep him in the elite tier for the foreseeable future. He may not have the physical talent of Josh Allen, but he’s only going to get better as the game “slows down” for him.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 3: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks executed arguably the biggest trade in NFL history in early March when Russell Wilson was sent to Denver for three players and five draft picks.
Wilson, a perennial MVP candidate on and off the field, could go down as the most important trade acquisition for any NFL team ever.
The Denver Broncos and general manager George Paton had to do something at quarterback in 2022. The organization didn’t have enough faith in Drew Lock after the 2020 season to just hand him the reins in 2021, so they gave them to Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater was predictably predictable, and the Broncos finished with just 7 wins and in last place in the division.
With such a strong roster, however, Wilson chose the Broncos among the potential suitors and the two teams struck a trade that will go down in the history books. An all-timer.
Wilson dealt with a finger injury in 2021 that hindered his production, but he was starting to look like the same old Russ down the stretch last season.
He’s only one season removed from his first-ever 40-touchdown campaign and now he heads to Denver where he will be able to throw the ball to the likes of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick.
The Denver Broncos went from irrelevant to Super Bowl contenders with one move.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 2: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen’s ascent is remarkable.
It wasn’t long ago I was in attendance at the 2018 Senior Bowl practices where young Josh Allen and his rifle of an arm were on display for the entire NFL world to see.
The Bills had just hired Brian Daboll to be their new offensive coordinator, and he was tasked with extracting the best out of Allen as an NFL player.
I saw Allen throwing the ball through the back of end zone over everyone’s heads in Mobile, and thought his NFL future was all but decided.
It didn’t seem Allen would be able to be accurate enough on a consistent basis to make it in the NFL, but he has made fools of many talent evaluators.
His accuracy isn’t the only thing that has improved. Allen’s ability to process the field and make plays at any given moment put him up there as arguably the best overall player in the NFL right now.
The Buffalo Bills gave Allen a well-deserved contract extension, and he rewarded them by giving team its best shot at a Super Bowl in a long time.
Unfortunately, on a fateful night in Kansas City, Allen wasn’t able to touch the ball in overtime. That rule likely cost the Bills their season, because Allen and the offense were scoring at will.
We’ll never know how different things could have been if the Bills had been able to just hold the Chiefs to even a field goal in overtime.
One thing is certain, expectations will be high again in 2022 as the Bills have had a bit of a free agency spending spree, signing Von Miller and a host of other players to fortify their roster.
NFL Power Rankings, AFC QB no. 1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Regardless of whether or not he has hot or cold stretches of play, it feels like the AFC will run through Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for the foreseeable future, doesn’t it?
Mahomes set a career-high with 13 interceptions this past season, but it felt like it had been a long time coming for the INT totals to catch up to some of the risks he takes as a quarterback.
Ultimately, the 13 interceptions are a worthwhile price to pay for the things Mahomes can do that no one else at the position can. He’s got the magic.
Mahomes will go down as one of the most unique players at the most important position this game has ever seen. He has the ability to put his team in position to score in the blink of an eye, and you don’t nee to look any further than the Chiefs’ playoff win over the Bills for evidence of that.
A lead in the fourth quarter with only 13 seconds left in the game is not safe when you are up against Patrick Mahomes.
This guy simply knows how to make the right decisions with the football, and it’s just an innate feel for the game that can only be described by watching. Is he flawed? Sure. The man is a gunslinger and will make mistakes with the ball from time to time.
He may not be perfect, but he might be the closest thing you get with modern NFL quarterbacks.
Mahomes is the superstar among superstars. The one every other team in the NFL is chasing after. The crazy thing is, he’s only going to be 27 years old this season.