Will there be a new QB1 in the NFL in 2022? Can Josh Allen dethrone the great Patrick Mahomes? Has he done it already? We rank all 32 projected starters.
Is 2022 going to be the year Josh Allen takes over as the NFL’s QB1?
Will Patrick Mahomes allow it?
Has it already happened?
The 2022 NFL season is about to be one of the most fascinating in recent memory with so many teams making major upgrades this offseason and over half the league looking like potential playoff contenders.
But which teams are in the best situation at the quarterback position? Which teams will benefit the most from who they have under center?
Let’s take a pulse on the league right now and rank the 32 projected starters this season from worst to best.
NFL QB power rankings, no. 32: Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons
Other than bringing back the red helmets this year, the Atlanta Falcons are going to be one of this year’s tougher teams to watch.
With Kyle Pitts and Drake London, this team is far from unwatchable, but with Marcus Mariota under center, Atlanta might be in the worst position of any team to compete this season.
Mariota is a reclamation project for the Falcons and head coach Arthur Smith, who saw Ryan Tannehill become a reclamation project success story in Tennessee, ironically at Mariota’s expense.
Can Mariota recapture the magic we saw from him a few years ago when he was a young, up-and-coming player with the Titans?
NFL QB power rankings no. 31: Mitchell Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaking of reclamation projects, it sounds like the heir to Big Ben’s throne in Pittsburgh will initially be Mitchell Trubisky, the former no. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
2017 wasn’t that long ago, yet at this point, it almost feels like a lifetime in NFL years.
Trubisky has a chance to be decent with the Pittsburgh Steelers but are we banking on it?
He’ll have rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett on his heels all throughout training camp and this battle seems at least relatively open as we get into the back end of July.
NFL QB power rankings no. 30: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
The New York Giants are seemingly going to give Daniel Jones one more shot, and understandably so.
The former first-round pick out of Duke has not exactly had the most favorable situation since coming into the league in 2019, but he also hasn’t been very good, either.
Jones has been a turnover machine and the Giants are hoping Brian Daboll in the head coach seat can at least provide this franchise with some clarity at the quarterback position.
Daboll was on the Buffalo staff that saw a miraculous development from Josh Allen. Not everyone is going to be able to duplicate that but perhaps Daboll and his staff can get Jones on the right track and keep him in a starting role beyond just this season.
NFL QB power rankings no. 29: Davis Mills, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have finally moved on from Deshaun Watson after a seemingly unending saga.
Not only did they get a king’s ransom of draft picks in return for Watson, but last year, it seems like Mills at least gave them someone worth looking into as the QB of the future.
Although he wasn’t perfect, Mills played some good football for Houston and actually looked better than many of his peers from the 2021 NFL Draft class.
For now, it’s safe to reserve judgment, but I like that Mills is getting a real shot with some continuity on the coaching staff and an upgraded roster around him.
NFL QB power rankings no. 28: Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks
We are beyond the point of discussing why Drew Lock got a raw deal with the Denver Broncos.
He’s now at a point where he’s got to show that he’s got NFL chops or he’s going to become a career backup in the league.
I think he’s got a tremendous opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks, provided they don’t do something like trade DK Metcalf away.
The Seahawks are pitching their QB position as a battle between Lock and Geno Smith, but going with Smith would be such a bad decision for a franchise that just let go of two legends this offseason.
Lock is much younger and is a much more worthwhile roll of the dice, especially if this team’s goal is to get a QB in the class of 2023.
NFL QB power rankings no. 27: Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
I hesitate to put Justin Fields on this list, but he was such a highly touted prospect a year ago at this time and he has so much raw talent that he’s impossible to ignore.
I like Fields, and I still like his upside even with the Bears having unquestionably the worst supporting cast of offensive talent in the league.
By the end of this season, don’t be shocked to be seeing some “Free Justin Fields” tweets, but also don’t be surprised to see Fields take a big leap forward in year two.
NFL QB power rankings no. 26: Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
It’s hard to say that the San Francisco 49ers have handled their QB position poorly in 2022, but the fact that Jimmy Garoppolo is still on their roster heading into training camp is clearly not what they had envisioned as Plan A.
Garoppolo’s offseason surgery has prevented a trade from going down, but the team has clearly been talking about Jimmy G. in the past tense and Trey Lance in the present tense.
Lance is an incredibly talented athlete at the QB position with a rocket for an arm and with all of his traits plus the Kyle Shanahan offense?
Expectations are understandably high.
NFL QB power rankings no. 25: Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Should Zach Wilson even be this high on a list like this?
I will say, I’m projecting a bit here.
I like the supporting cast Wilson has in 2022 much better than a year ago. I like that he’s had a year in the system and I like that he’s gotten some of his rookie issues out of the way.
I think he’s poised to take one of the biggest leaps of any young player in the league in 2022 and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Jets make a little more noise in the AFC than people think.
They may only win six or seven games at most, but I think Wilson is going to make strides and be the exciting playmaker we saw at BYU.
NFL QB power rankings no. 24: Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints
Coming off of an ACL injury, it would be very easy to write off Jameis Winston and even the Saints, for that matter.
Winston was on an outstanding pace last year before his injury, and even if he had cooled off significantly after a hot start, he showed with the Saints that he was able to make better decisions with the football and help the offense to more sustained success.
Coming off of injury? We’ll see.
There are so many question marks here but you have to love Winston’s situation with a healthy Michael Thomas and better weapons overall with the additions of Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry.
NFL QB power rankings no. 23: Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers
Is Baker Mayfield one of the top 25 QBs in the NFL right now? Maybe not, but as is the case with some of the other QBs on this list, I am projecting a little bit. And he’s certainly not outside the top 64.
I like Mayfield’s fit with the Panthers’ offensive skill players and it was just 2020 when we last saw Mayfield playing some pretty darn good football, or at least putting up good numbers.
The former top overall pick isn’t exactly in a great situation given the Panthers’ staff could be on the chopping block and Ben McAdoo is the OC, but I think he can rise above and prove himself in 2022.
Arguably no NFL QB will have a bigger chip on their shoulders.
NFL QB power rankings no. 22: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
More and more people seem to be jumping on the Detroit Lions bandwagon these days.
I have been saying for quite some time now that I really liked what the Lions did late last season, and I liked the progression we saw from Jared Goff.
Was it enough to call him a top 20 NFL QB right now? No, but I think Goff is in better position than a lot of people realize.
He has a ton of weapons at his disposal now, especially compared to a year ago at this time, and the Lions have a good offensive line.
I think the Lions — and Goff — could surprise people in 2022.
NFL QB power rankings no. 21: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have given Tua Tagovailoa arguably the fastest duo of wide receivers in the NFL to work with in 2022.
Tyreek Hill comes in via trade and Jaylen Waddle is coming off of a strong rookie season to give the Dolphins two guys that can score from literally anywhere on the field.
Additionally, Tua has a new coaching staff led by Mike McDaniel, who comes over from the 49ers.
By the end of this season, he’ll be all out of excuses if he can’t prove himself worthy of his lofty draft status.
NFL QB power rankings no. 20: Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders
We saw Carson Wentz take a step forward in 2021 with Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts, at least compared to where he was when he was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles.
So much of Wentz’s success last year was being put in a good position by a good coaching staff, but I think he deserves credit for also making better decisions with the ball to the tune of 27 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions.
For the Commanders, Wentz will have to be a playmaker more than a game manager. He won’t have Jonathan Taylor to lean on, but Washington has a strong offensive line and some nice pieces in the passing game, including Terry McLaurin and first-round pick Jahan Dotson.
NFL QB power rankings no. 19: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Is this overly disrespectful to Ryan Tannehill?
I don’t think so.
Tannehill has done some really good things over the last couple of seasons with the Titans, earning that big-money contract and helping this team to one of the best records in the NFL since he became the starter.
With that said, I don’t view Tannehill as the huge difference maker for the Titans. He’s not getting dragged along at this point, but he’s also not a true game-changer.
With the Titans, Tannehill works, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
NFL QB power rankings no 18: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
We saw Jalen Hurts take a big step forward this past season and help get the Philadelphia Eagles into the playoffs.
One of the better dual-threat QBs in the league, Hurts and Philadelphia had multiple games last season where they proved they could win with a variety of different offensive attacks.
Somewhat by design, Hurts didn’t throw for over 300 yards at any point after Week 4 last season, but his 26 total rushing touchdowns and the Eagles’ excellent team ball over the second half of the season led to better success than most expected from them.
Can Hurts take a leap forward as a passer in 2022? That could vault him into the top 10 on this list.
NFL QB power rankings no. 17: Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Mac Jones was pretty much exactly as advertised with the Patriots in 2021 as a rookie.
He was the best rookie quarterback in the NFL last season, and it doesn’t really matter if you want to argue about that being simply circumstantial.
Jones had some huge games individually as well as working as more of a distributing point guard, and he deserves credit for coming into the NFL and completing nearly 68 percent of his passes for over 3,800 yards and 22 touchdowns.
What does Jones have to do to shed the “game manager” label? Even if he can’t shed the label, there’s nothing wrong with being exactly that in the Patriots’ offense.
The bigger and more important question is — who in the world is calling plays for Jones in 2022?
NFL QB power rankings no. 16: Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
I don’t really know what to make of Matt Ryan going to the Colts.
He hasn’t been great the last couple of years for the Atlanta Falcons, but because he’s going to Indianapolis with Frank Reich, we’re expecting a resurrection of MVP Matt Ryan?
I do like his situation with the Colts better than the Falcons, of course, but will this move be more Peyton Manning in Denver or will it be more Joe Flacco in Denver?
The Colts have gotten good production out of Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz in consecutive years, so I have some faith they’ll be able to get good production out of Matt Ryan.
NFL QB power rankings no. 15: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Time for everyone to call this the hottest take of the entire post.
I love Trevor Lawrence going into year two.
Lawrence struggled as a rookie at times, but he also showed plenty of good things as well. He showed plenty of good with Urban Meyer actively trying to bring the franchise down week after week.
I don’t love Lawrence’s weapons in the passing game, but I do love the upgrade with Doug Pederson as head coach, and I think Lawrence is going to be the most improved QB in the league in 2022.
NFL QB power rankings no. 14: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
I maintain that the Cleveland Browns made an irresponsible deal to not just acquire Watson and add him to their roster but to pay him $230 million fully guaranteed.
I can understand the risk/reward proposition of Watson on the field, but why did any team have to sign him to a new contract upon acquiring him, much less a fully guaranteed, record-setting deal?
Watson could be suspended in 2022 for half the season, the entire season — no one knows.
On the field, the last time we saw him, he’s proven to be one of the most talented QBs in the league.
NFL QB power rankings no. 13: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
For all his faults, Kirk Cousins has managed to consistently put up really good numbers for the majority of the last six or seven years.
He’s helped the Vikings’ playmakers really excel, but this team has not had the kind of collective success that everyone in Minnesota expected when he signed to a big-money deal in 2018 free agency.
With yet another new deal, Cousins really has to start helping the Vikings close out games and rack up the wins instead of just posting great stats.
NFL QB power rankings no. 12: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Even after a little drama this offseason, it looks like Kyler Murray is ready to go out and prove this season why he should be the next highest-paid quarterback in the league.
Murray is a dynamic playmaker at the position and he’s capable of completely dominating games.
He’ll have to survive without DeAndre Hopkins for the first six weeks of the 2022 season, but he’s got his old pal Hollywood Brown in Arizona now and he’s also got a pair of really good tight ends in Zach Ertz and rookie Trey McBride.
There’s a ton of pressure on the top pick of the 2019 NFL Draft this season and on the Cardinals in general, looking up at the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams in their own division.
NFL QB power rankings no. 11: Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
What Derek Carr lacks in overall flash as a playmaker, he more than makes up for with consistently good decisions with the ball and tremendous placement to every level of the field.
Although Carr has been accused of being a game-manager in the past, he’s certainly not risk-averse and he’s certainly capable of pushing the ball vertical.
Carr now has the benefit of having the best receiver in the NFL — Davante Adams — at his disposal.
Along with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, this has the potential to be Carr’s best year yet as a pro.
NFL QB power rankings no. 10: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Is Lamar Jackson a top 10 NFL quarterback right now?
Who cares?
The 2019 NFL MVP has had significant drops in production over the last two years. There’s no denying that.
His effectiveness on a per-snap basis in 2019 was legendary as the Ravens finished 32nd in the NFL in passing attempts and no. 1 in the league in passing touchdowns.
Jackson hasn’t been that guy the last couple of years and wasn’t even close in 2021.
But he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder in a contract year in 2022, and I’m not betting against him.
NFL QB power rankings no. 9: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott continues to prove he’s one of the league’s best quarterbacks, but in 2022, he’ll be without one of his security blankets — wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Even without Cooper, Prescott will still be expected to throw the ball a ton and lead the Cowboys deeper in the playoffs than they’ve been since the 1990s when they were last a true championship contending team.
Prescott gives the Cowboys their best chance at winning a Super Bowl since those glory days, and he’s going to help take CeeDee Lamb to the next level of superstardom as an NFL receiver in 2022.
NFL QB power rankings no. 8: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
After being stuck for over a decade in Detroit, Matthew Stafford was set free in 2021 and exceeded all expectations.
The Los Angeles Rams became Super Bowl champions in Stafford’s first year at the helm, and he proved to be exactly what they thought he would be — a perfect fit for Sean McVay’s offense.
The Rams took a rather big risk by trading away Jared Goff — their own former top overall pick who had already helped get them to a Super Bowl — to acquire Stafford.
That risk paid off in a big way and both Stafford and the Rams are now NFL immortality because of it.
NFL QB power rankings no. 7: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
If this even exists, I think Justin Herbert is a slight tier below Josh Allen when it comes to the most freaky-gifted players at the quarterback position in the NFL today.
Herbert has the size, athleticism, arm talent, and tools to be an MVP candidate for the next decade-plus.
Herbert has been a superstar since he came into the league in 2020 and many expect him to take the Chargers to the promised land sooner rather than later.
NFL QB power rankings no. 6: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
The biggest trade of the NFL offseason in 2022 sent superstar QB Russell Wilson to Denver, making the Broncos Super Bowl contenders once again.
The Broncos have been in QB purgatory since Peyton Manning retired after Super Bowl 50, but no more.
Although Wilson suffered a finger injury last season, he’s been an MVP candidate as recently as 2020. Many feel like his game has regressed but that’s simply not the case.
Wilson is still a star quarterback who has a plethora of weapons at his disposal now in Denver, where new head coach Nathaniel Hackett is building an offense to help get the most out of Wilson.
NFL QB power rankings no. 5: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers has won back-to-back MVP awards and remains one of the best players in the entire NFL, regardless of position.
But how much will the loss of Davante Adams at the wide receiver position hurt him?
We’re fixin’ to find out.
Rodgers doesn’t exactly have the best group of receivers to work with at this point, so his MVP status is going to be put to the test. The Packers have a very good defense and two-headed rushing attack, but part of the reason a player like Rodgers is only 5th on this list is the fact that the guys he has to throw to are just not good compared to others.
NFL QB power rankings no. 4: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
After taking the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl last year, former Heisman winner and no. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow deserves his place among the NFL’s elite.
Yes, the Bengals started slow last year. That doesn’t matter at this point.
Burrow deserves his placement here in the top four NFL QBs of 2022 because he’s truly elite in just about every way as a QB. Most notably, very few quarterbacks navigate the pocket like Burrow and he’s an absolute magician when it comes to avoiding pressure.
Burrow has been a true game-changer dating back to his legendary 2019 season at LSU and he can continue to take steps forward in 2022.
NFL QB power rankings no. 3: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joe Burrow is somewhat reminiscent of a young Tom Brady, but Brady is still the GOAT.
The GOAT came back for the 2022 season after initially deciding to call it a career.
Remember that? Good times.
Brady is simply too good to stop playing just yet. Plus, he hasn’t gotten the chance to wear those creamsicle uniforms yet.
The Buccaneers will once again be title contenders with Brady at the helm, but there are a lot more changes to deal with in 2022 than we saw last year for the Bucs.
Can Brady do it without his pal Rob Gronkowski?
NFL QB power rankings no. 2: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is still an MVP candidate.
He’s still one of the best players in the entire NFL.
But is he still the best and most dynamic QB in the league? I’m not so sure.
Mahomes is able to dominate games. He’s able to make throws most NFL QBs don’t dream of making. He can win any shootout. His team is never in a deficit that he can’t overcome.
At least, that’s how it feels. He’s a true cheat code and the Chiefs are lucky to have him. But how much is he about to miss Tyreek Hill? Some people think that loss is overrated, but I don’t think you can possibly overrate such a massive departure.
NFL QB power rankings no. 1: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
It’s time to crown a new king among NFL quarterbacks, and I’m doing this with an ice cold plate of crow.
I did not see Josh Allen becoming this when he came into the NFL out of Wyoming. I sat in the stands at the 2018 Senior Bowl practices as it looked like Allen couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
His ascent has been nothing short of remarkable, bordering on miraculous.
He’s got the ability to beat you with his rocket of an arm or his outstanding athleticism and speed as a runner.
Josh Allen is the most gifted QB in the NFL going into 2022, and he’s turned into one of the most unique players we’ve ever seen at the position.