We take an in-depth look at some of the most compelling quarterback situations in the NFL in advance of the 2022 season. Several of the teams we feature here have passers who are entering pivotal or defining campaigns – making this year’s player prop bets increasingly interesting. The talent around them can go a long way in determining the ultimate levels of success and how they will be judged.
The best quarterbacks in the game boost the level of performances around them and elevate their teams to greater heights. For some, showing clear signs of progress will be the goal in 2022. We examine the outlooks and offer our predictions on how they will turn out.
The Game Day’s Quarterbacks In The Crosshairs For 2022
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts could deliver a breakthrough season in 2022. The Eagles have surrounded him with much playmaking talent in the receiving game. The acquisition of A.J. Brown gives him a superb trio of pass-catchers to work with. In addition to Brown, DeVonta Smith should continue to improve in his second season, and Dallas Goedert is an established receiving tight end.
The Eagles cannot rely on their mediocre running game unless Kenneth Gainwell breaks out, so Hurts is going to have to carry a heavy load on offense for the Eagles in 2022. He’ll be ready and will confirm that he is indeed capable of embracing stardom.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers willingly returned to the Packers, knowing that he was going to lose his top wide receiver. Green Bay did not make any major moves in free agency or the draft to truly compensate for the loss of Davante Adams. Rodgers can make lesser pass-catchers perform above their abilities. But there are no proven above-average playmakers in his projected receiving group.
This will be a big test to see if Rodgers can make another deep playoff run with a weakened WR crew. If not, his legacy may be of a superstar QB that won “only” one Super Bowl. We’re forecasting that Rodgers is not going to win an elusive NFC Championship with his current collection of receivers.
San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance is projected to be the starter in 2022. But there have been some published reports that indicate there are concerns about how raw he is. Fortunately, Lance has a good group of talent around him on offense to ease the pressure on him. The 49ers will rely on a deep running game to set up Lance for RPO success, and his pass-catchers, most notably Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, will make life easier for the young QB.
Samuel is the best yardage after the catch WR in the NFL and Kittle is an outstanding safety valve for any passer. The Niners have set Lance up for success with his supporting cast. Expect the 49ers to make the playoffs again. But it may be asking a lot for Lance to win more than one playoff game in his first full season as a starter.
Las Vegas Raiders
In a league where finding a quality starting quarterback can be a significant challenge, the Raiders made a sensible call to stick with Derek Carr, because there weren’t too many other options to consider otherwise. Instead of moving on from Carr, the Raiders acquired Adams, finally giving their quarterback the outstanding wideout he has long lacked.
Carr is no superstar, but he led the Raiders to the playoffs last year and has always been dealing with mediocrity at receiver. Now he will be expected to carry Las Vegas further in the postseason. But the AFC West is obviously looking like the best division in football, so the Raiders and Carr may have to be happy with one playoff win at the most.
The three QBs and teams in his division will just be better than what Las Vegas has. Carr won’t be a disappointment, but the Raiders won’t be a true contender in the AFC, either.
Miami Dolphins
This is an obvious “prove it” year for Tua Tagovailoa. Tyreek Hill will now combine with Jaylen Waddle to give the Dolphins one of the most exciting WR duos in the AFC. New head coach Mike McDaniel should lead an innovative offensive staff.
There is hope in South Florida to end a long playoff victory drought. Tagovailoa has the weapons needed to raise his game. This can be a year of progress for Miami, with possibly an eye on making more noise in the postseason next year.
Chicago Bears
The Bears lost Allen Robinson and did not make any real moves of note to improve Justin Fields’ pass-catching crew. Chicago may be expecting too much from their young quarterback while not providing him with enough help. Many other NFL teams have been actively making moves to surround lesser QBs with more playmakers and take pressure off the passer. The Bears’ failure to do so will result in an up and down season for Fields and another losing year.
New York Jets
The Jets have done exactly the opposite of what Chicago has. The front office has been undeterred, continuing to build around Zach Wilson even when they miss out on big-ticket targets like Hill. New York has bulked up the backfield and the wide receiver corps in admirable fashion through the NFL Draft over the last two seasons.
There will be a lot of youthful inconsistency, but the Jets should be more exciting and competitive in 2022. The Jets can start to give their long-starved fan base some hope for the future, something they have not experienced in a very long time.
Jacksonville Jaguars
After a terrible rookie season, Trevor Lawrence should have the goal of playing at a respectable level this season. Honestly, though, the Jaguars didn’t do much to improve his receiving corps. They overpaid for Christian Kirk and Evan Engram was a failure with the Giants. Zay Jones is totally unreliable and more of a journeyman type.
It could be another rough year in Jacksonville, as the decision-makers aren’t doing much to help Lawrence. A healthy Travis Etienne may become a frequent playmaker for Lawrence, but he doesn’t have much else to challenge defenses with.
