Now that the main chunk of free agency is over in the NFL, let’s make some way too early bold predictions for the 2022 season.
This free agency period was one of the wildest that the NFL has ever seen. Now that the main chunk of free agency is behind us, teams are beginning to lightly set their rosters as they gear up for the NFL draft later this month.
The 2021 season brought a ton of captivating storylines, which ended with the Los Angeles Rams, led by Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald, defeating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.
I don’t think many saw the Bengals making the run that they did, but it was quite the story to watch.
As the NFL goes, we’ll have a ton of new stories to follow. This offseason started with insane quarterback movement. Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, and Matt Ryan all got traded and found new homes.
There were also a ton of other monumental non-QB trades, like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Khalil Mack.
The 2022 season is set to feature a slew of faces in new places, and teams finally becoming competitive after years of not.
So, let’s make some way too early bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season.
Way too early bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season
A quarterback throws for more than 55 touchdowns.
One of the most impressive records in the history of the NFL is when Peyton Manning threw 55 touchdowns in the 2013 regular season, which still stands as the all-time record nearly 10 years later.
What makes this even more impressive is that this was done in a 16 game regular season.
The 2021 season was the first in which the NFL ran with a 17 game season. In a passing first era, teams rely on their elite quarterback play to win their games.
However, while many quarterbacks put up ridiculous numbers, no one has come close to throwing for more than 55 touchdowns and breaking Manning’s record he set with the Denver Broncos.
That is, until this year.
To me, while this record seems unbreakable, I think it’ll be broken at some point. The top-end quarterback talent in the NFL has never been better; quarterbacks are now often investing perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars into their bodies, and some of these players are in the best shape of any other group of professional athletes.
Players are wanting to extend their careers as much as possible to earn as much as they can, and the product is being shown on the field.
I am looking at the AFC specifically, which is perhaps set to be one of the most competitive and all-around strongest conferences that the NFL has ever seen.
Would it shock anyone if the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, or Justin Herbert threw for 56 touchdowns in a season?
To me, it’s inevitable that someone will. Teams are now doing more and more to make runs at a Super Bowl. They’re sacrificing valuable draft capital, reworking the salary cap like expert accountants, and swinging for the fences in making any potential improvements to their roster.