Who is the best quarterback in the NFL? Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are widely viewed as two of the best players in football. While they set an elite standard for quarterback play, our 2022 NFL QB rankings capture how the top 20 quarterbacks perform every week. Updated weekly throughout the season, here are our top-20 NFL QB rankings, with Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson disappearing from the list as of late.
Follow along in the postseason, where these rankings will continue to be updated following each game. Once the playoffs end, the rankings don’t. We’ll change the back end of the rankings, removing the undeserving ones such as Sam Darnold and replace them with above-average starters, such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford.
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NFL QB Rankings countdown from 20-1
20. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Russell Wilson stats | 16/11 | 3,524 (7.2 YPA) | 60.4% | 64.9 |
It all started horribly for Russell Wilson’s first season as a $230 million-dollar man in Denver. Yet, there’s hope for improved play heading into the offseason where the Broncos presumably will find a more experienced coach who’s better equipped to get the most out of the nine-time Pro Bowl QB who’s entering his 12th NFL season.
19. Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Sam Darnold stats | 7/3 | 1,143 (8.1 YPA) | 58.5% | 68.4 |
Sam Darnold didn’t received many opportunities this season for the Panthers, but in hindsight, his performance across six starts may be some of the best play Carolina got under center in 2022. Darnold is still likely looking at a backup role heading into the offseason.
18. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Jones’ sophomore campaign did not go as he had hoped. The struggling signal-caller threw 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He also found himself at odds with the Patriots’ offensive coaching staff and made headlines for all of the wrong reasons following an ugly play back in Week 16.
Needing a win to clinch a postseason appearance, Jones couldn’t get it done against a top-five Bills defense. Instead, Jones threw three crucial interceptions to remove all hope of helping Bill Belichick reach the playoffs. We’ll see if the Patriots can get him a more capable play-caller while boosting their receiving corps this offseason.
Related: 4 moves the New England Patriots must make to return to NFL Playoffs
17. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Justin Fields stats | 17/11 | 2,242 1,143 (8 TD rush) |
60.4% (7.1 YPA) | 70.2 |
Once the Chicago Bears started empowering their young second-year QB by allowing him to use his mobility to his advantage, Fields flourished. With the adjustment, Fields quickly broke an NFL record for the most rushing yards by a QB in a single game in Week 9, and he’s just the third quarterback ever to post a 1,000-yard rushing season.
We were also witnessing him step up as a passer, completing 67.7% of his passes in his last seven starts before posting a dud, completing just 33% against a bottom-rate Lions defense. Fields has quickly emerged as possibly the best running QB in football, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store once he gets a better cast of receivers and a more consistent line up front.
Related: 2023 NFL mock draft: 3 QBs in top 10, latest NFL Draft projection
16. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Dak Prescott stats | 23/15 | 2,860 (7.2 YPA) | 66.2% | 75.8 |
Prescott caught fire against Minnesota, finishing with a near career-best 88% completion rate while posting 40 points on the board. Two weeks later, Prescott’s Cowboys put up an NFL-high 52 points against a top-ten Colts passing defense. He’s led the Cowboys to 24 or more points in nine of his 11 starts. Yet he’s been far from perfect, tossing 11 interceptions in his past seven appearances.
In fact, Prescott has been downright terrible as of late, completing just 55% of his passes in his past two starts. Not the way you want to head into the postseason, especially knowing Tom Brady will be on the opposing sideline with a top-ten pass defense at his back.
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15. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Brock Purdy stats | 13/4 | 1,374 (8.0 YPA) | 67% | 74.4 |
Alright, so maybe Mr. Irrelevant is relevant after all. When Jimmy Garoppolo went down, many counted the 49ers out, but credit to their locker room, who never had a doubt that the seventh-round rookie in Purdy could hold his own. He’s done that and then some through six games. Purdy’s held his own so far, scoring 21 or more points in each of his five starts. We’ll see how he fares in the postseason.
14. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Daniel Jones stats | 15/5 | 3,205 708 (7 TD rush) |
67.2% (6.8 YPA) | 76.7 |
Despite facing less-than-ideal MetLife winds, yet playing the worst defense in football, Danny Dimes posted a 390-yard day in Week 12. He kept up that strong effort by putting up 271 yards against Washington, but there weren’t enough touchdowns to get either win.
We’d love to see Jones with a viable No. 1 receiver, but despite the obstacles in his way, he managed to post the highest passer rating of any other NFL QB this season (153.3) in the win over Houston. Jones has drastically cut down on his turnovers this season, and it’s resulted in the Giants’ first playoff appearance since 2016. He’ll has a chance to build upon a 368-yard day heading back to Minnesota for a Wild Card matchup. Hopefully Jones gets more help from his receivers this time around.
Related: Daniel Jones’ Week 17 performance likely forces the Giants to shell out a large contract
13. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Lamar Jackson stats | 17/7 | 2,242 764 (3 TD rush) |
62.3% (6.9 YPA) | 85.2 |
One of the most dangerous running QB threats in football, Jackson was on track for another fantastic season on the ground prior to his Week 13 injury. He wasn’t quite as explosive as a passer, where his completion percentage has took a slight hit. But he’s also pretty much all the Ravens have on offense, aside from Mark Andrews, who was a bit banged up as well. Jackson was good but not quite MVP-level great in 2022.
12. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
| TD:INT | Passing yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Aaron Rodgers stats | 25/11 | 3,490 (6.8 YPA) | 64.7% | 78.7 |
Defending his MVP award has not gone well for Rodgers. The Green Bay quarterback hasn’t been on the same page with his receivers, but even then, aside from Christian Watson’s emergence, his pass-catchers aren’t as explosive as Davante Adams was. Rodgers is on pace for new career lows in passing yardage, but that’s more a product of their desire to establish their ground attack. Rodgers suddenly has the Packers on track for the playoffs, where they feel like a dangerous unit coming in with momentum.
11. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Jared Goff stats | 29/7 | 4,214 (7.6 YPA) | 64.9% | 70.6 |
Goff has had his usual ups and downs, but he’s been up as of late. The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 9 and has won seven of his past nine starts. Playing some of the best football of his career, Goff now takes on a top-five Packers pass defense, which could bring back the turnover woes as the Lions take aim at reaching the postseason.
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Top 10 NFL QB Rankings
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Kirk Cousins stats | 29/14 | 4,547 (7.0 YPA) | 65.9% | 76 |
It’s a new year, but the story stays the same. Kirko Chains — whatever you want to call him, has been up and down once again. When he’s not facing constant pressure, Cousins has been on point in the North Star state, helping form a dynamite duo with Justin Jefferson, who accounted for 39% of Cousins’ yardage total this season.
After posting back-to-back 400-yard games, leading the largest comeback in NFL history, Cousins sailed to the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field. The Packers came in motivated with a chance to boost their playoff odds, and Cousins was atrocious, turning the ball over four times while giving the Vikings no chance at moving the ball. Next up is a likely playoff matchup with the Giants, who boast one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles, and the Vikings could be without two starting linemen, setting up a potential disaster.
Related: Overpaid or underrated: 2022 outlook for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Trevor Lawrence stats | 25/8 | 4,113 (7.0 YPA) | 66.3% | 77.4 |
Just 23 years old, Lawrence started the year strong, appearing to make major strides in his second NFL season. Lawrence came back down to earth in the weeks that followed, but he then began trending back up, completing 76.8% of his passes from Weeks 9-12.
It’s not hard to see the Jaguars QB learning with each start, and his comeback win against Baltimore just might be his best performance yet as a pro. He’s on the brink of becoming great, and if Lawrence can become more consistent, he might just earn that elite label. Now he’ll get the chance to build on his success during his first NFL playoff run.
8. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Don’t count out Brady just yet. Even at 45, he’s still doing his thing. Brady is far from posting video game numbers, but that’s never been his style.
Brady couldn’t handle the pressure of heading back home, taking on the NFL’s best defense, and it led to his fewest yards per attempt (4.6) of the season. With his back against the ropes, Brady couldn’t fare much better against Cincinnati, turning the ball over four times, which he’s done just eight times in his career.
He then rallied his team for another OT comeback win against Arizona and followed that performance up with his best game of the season in a 432-yard effort, proving his arm isn’t cooked. We’ll see if his pursuit of an eighth Super Bowl ring is successful, but he faces very long odds.
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Justin Herbert stats | 25/10 | 4,739 (6.7 YPA) | 68.2% | 77.4 |
Wrapping up his third season, Herbert leads the NFL in 50+ yard air distance completions since 2020, meaning even if you have the Chargers backed up, defenders can never relax because the next one might sail over your head.
The Chargers have beaten just one team that is .500 or better this season, which could be cause for concern. Yet, there’s also reason to celebrate as Herbert has finally clinched a playoff spot. Next up is the first playoff start of his career, against a vulnerable Jaguars pass defense that ranks in the bottom tier of the NFL.
Check out our latest fantasy football rankings
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Tua Tagovailoa stats | 25/8 | 3,548 (8.9 YPA) | 64.8% | 81.9 |
Playing in a high-powered offense that features two 1,000-yard receivers and another in Mike Gesicki, who’s not far behind in ability, Tagovailoa will have no trouble staying a top-ranked NFL QB.
But his effort against San Francisco didn’t help, where Tagovailoa completed a season-low 54.6% of his passes and had multiple turnovers (three) for just the second time this season. He followed that performance up with another dud against Los Angeles, completing a career-low 35.7% of his passes in his worst start of the season. It wasn’t any better against Green Bay, where Tagovailoa threw three picks. Tagovailoa hasn’t been spectacular as of late, and we may not see him again this season after suffering another concussion.
Related: Tua Tagovailoa talks about his ‘deep balls’ growing a lot in 2022
5. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Geno Smith stats | 30/11 | 4,282 (7.4 YPA) | 69.7% | 81.5 |
One of the biggest surprises of the 2022 NFL season, sure, Smith is a former second-round pick, but he’s never played like one. Until now. Smith’s leading the NFL in completion rate, with the Seahawks performing as a top-ten offense.
Smith has come back down to earth as of late, losing five of his past eight starts, but he’s continued to battle just enough to keep Seattle’s playoff hopes alive heading into the final game of the regular season. Postseason or not, Smith has secured the starting gig for at least another season.
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Joe Burrow stats | 35/12 | 4,475 (7.3 YPA) | 68.3% | 90.5 |
Not only has Burrow’s offensive line been inconsistent, he had to manage without his top receiver for four weeks with Ja’Marr Chase sidelined. But Joe Cool responded well, putting 35 or more points on the board in two of the three wins. When the Bengals are clicking, there are few quarterbacks better than the former LSU superstar.
Burrow has led seven consecutive wins and now once again takes on a bottom-tier Ravens pass defense in the postseason. With Burrow white-hot, we like his chances to rip apart the Ravens to advance to the Divisional Round.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Josh Allen stats | 35/14 | 4,283 762 (7 TD rush) |
63.3% (7.5 YPA) | 90.4 |
Leading the way for several weeks, Allen slipped in our NFL QB rankings thanks to a string of red zone interceptions. At his best, there may not be a better-combined runner/passer in football. While his decision-making at times could improve, the Buffalo QB still has an elite skill set.
Next up is another matchup with the Dolphins, this time in the AFC Wild Card round. Being that Allen averaged 414 yards per game in his previous two matchups against Mike McDaniel’s squad, we like Allen’s chances to have a big day at home.
See where Josh Allen ranks in our NFL top 100 player rankings
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Jalen Hurts stats | 22/6 | 3,701 760 (13 TD rush) |
66.5% (8.0 YPA) | 88.6 |
Hurts went from a quarterback who needed to prove he was capable of holding down the gig to establishing himself as a Pro Bowl talent in his second full season as a starter. A second-round pick in 2020, the Eagles struck gold with the Alabama quarterback, but no one ever expected Hurts to be a top-ranked QB in the NFL.
Before getting injured, Hurts’ season in 2022 was reminiscent of Jackson’s MVP year in 2019. Most importantly, the Eagles secured a first-round bye in the playoffs. Hurts saw his MVP chances disappear, but all that matters now is a chance at the Super Bowl.
Related: NFL head coaches on the hot seat: Kliff Kingsbury likely gone
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
| TD:INT | Pass yards | Comp rate | PFF grade | |
| Patrick Mahomes stats | 41/12 | 5,250 (8.1 YPA) | 67.1% | 91.3 |
Even when he’s not doing his best Air Jordan impression, Mahomes is simply magical. The former MVP has the ability to put up 400-yard performances on a weekly basis. He may not have broken the NFL’s single-season passing yardage record this season, but he’s the biggest threat to Drew Brees’ mark. Mahomes has done enough to win his second career MVP award and could add a Super Bowl to that trophy case later this year.
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This article was originally published on Sportsnaut.com and is republished here with permission.
