NFL QB Rankings: Kirk Cousins rises after making history, but Patrick Mahomes still No. 1

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.

Related: Weekly Fantasy Football rankings 2022

NFL QB Rankings countdown from 20-1

20. Mike White, New York Jets

We would have never guessed Mike White would have ever made this list when the season began, but he had been performing leaps and bounds better than Zach Wilson. In a typical season, White wouldn’t crack the top 20, but poor QB play plus injuries have changed the outlook. As for White, he got banged up a bit against Buffalo, forcing him out of action in Week 15, which is likely the same story on a short turnaround heading into Thursday.

19. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

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 three games, but with Deebo Samuel set to miss time, the 49ers will ask even more out of the 262nd pick, which could end badly.

18. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

After throwing three interceptions in Tennessee’s playoff loss a season ago, Tannehill’s thrown just six picks in 12 games since. But it’s not like he’s been afraid to sling it downfield, as the Titans QB is tied for second place in the NFL in yards per attempt. Most importantly, Tannehill’s been able to keep the Titans in playoff contention, but just barely.

Yet once again, we saw what happens when Tannehill can’t generate enough scoring plays, losing in a blowout to Philadelphia, where he had a total of 175 yards. He didn’t fare much better against Jacksonville or LA, delivering a fourth consecutive loss. If Tannehill can’t pull out a win soon, we could see the Malik Willis era begin.

17. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

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. The Giants are 7-5-1, and the former Duke QB is playing smart football.

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 had his second-highest completion rate of the season in the tie over Washington, who he takes on again this week.

Related: Daniel Jones out to prove he’s not the chink in the New York Giants’ armor

16. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

The first 14 games of Carr operating the Josh McDaniels offense haven’t been great, but the Raiders have also dealt with a number of injuries to their receiving corps. The Davante Adams connection is alive and well, but even the two-time All-Pro receiver is near his career-low catch rate, which was nowhere near the expectation.

Carr has helped turn the Raiders’ season around, but his completion rate ranks among the NFL’s worst QBs. In other words, he hasn’t exactly been consistent. It doesn’t get much easier in Week 16 against a Mike Tomlin-coached defense, which actually has been average, at best.

Related: If you’re a fan of the Raiders, check out #RaiderNation rumors, rankings, and news here.

15. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

Now that the Chicago Bears are empowering their young second-year QB by allowing him to use his mobility to his advantage, Fields has 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 now just the third quarterback ever to post a 1,000-yard rushing season.

We’re also seeing him step up as a passer, completing 66.9% of his passes in his last five starts. 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. Next up is a must-watch showdown against the Bills, who boast a top-ten rush defense.

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14. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

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-10 Colts passing defense. He’s led the Cowboys to 24 or more points in seven of his eight starts, but ended up throwing the game away in Jacksonville. With Prescott not being his best as of late, he could be in for a rough outing against Philadelphia, who has the best passing defense in the NFL.

13. 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. We’ve seen more errant throws, but it’s not like he’s tossing the game away with turnovers for the most part.

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 is very unlike TB12. Brady faces an absolute must-win next week against Arizona, which shouldn’t be difficult against a bottom-rate defense.

12. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

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 sudden emergence, his pass-catchers aren’t as explosive as Davante Adams was. Rodgers is on pace for new career lows in passing yardage. The Packers may have won in Week 13, but with Rodgers dealing with injuries to his thumb and ribs, it feels like only a matter of time before he’s shut down for the year.

Instead, Rodgers takes on a Rams defense that has allowed two 300-yard passers in the past three games.

11. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

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 six of his past seven starts. Playing some of the best football of his career, Goff now takes on an average Panthers defense in Week 16.

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Top 10 NFL QB Rankings

10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

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 hasn’t been as great as a passer, where his completion percentage has taken a slight hit. But he’s also pretty much all the Ravens have on offense, aside from Mark Andrews, who’s been banged up as well. When healthy, Jackson’s been good but not quite MVP-level great in 2022.

9. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

It’s a new year, but the story stays the same. Kirko Chains, Kirk Thuggins — whatever you want to call him, has been up and down in 2022. When he’s not facing constant pressure, Cousins has mostly been on point in the North Star state, helping form a dynamite duo with Justin Jefferson, who’s accounted for 42% of Cousins’ yardage total this season.

After posting back-to-back 400-yard games, leading the largest comeback in NFL history, Captain Kirk now looks to attack a middling Giants defense that has intercepted just two passes all season.

Related: Overpaid or underrated: 2022 outlook for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins

8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

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. Lawrence is getting closer to reaching his potential, even if it’s taken a bit longer than we expected. A week after throwing for 375 yards and four touchdowns, Lawrence defeated the Cowboys with another incredible 300-yard, four-score performance. He’s on the brink of becoming great, but a test against the Jets’ playmaking secondary will be key.

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

In the midst of 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.

But we’re already impressed with his physical abilities. At this point, we want to see Herbert in the playoffs, yet the Chargers have beaten just two teams that are .500 or better in 2022, which came in the past two weeks. If his receivers can stay healthy, we might finally see the Herbert we’ve all been waiting for this season, as we witnessed against Miami and Tennessee. He should be able to dismantle the Colts, who haven’t been able to put together a complete performance all season.

Check out our latest fantasy football rankings

6. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

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. It’s no longer a question of if he can keep up his stellar play. It’s more a matter of how good the 32-year-old can be, starting for just the third year in his career.

Taking on the NFL’s best defense, Smith struggled for much of the day with Nick Bosa and Co. barreling down on him, unable to connect on anything downfield. He may have a big day against Kansas City, but he won’t outscore Mahomes.

5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

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 this season.

But his effort against San Francisco won’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. Playing in the snow, the Hawaii native crept back to normal, but ultimately still struggled to complete passes. Chances are the results won’t be any better in Week 16 against a top-five Green Bay pass D.

Related: Tua Tagovailoa talks about his ‘deep balls’ growing a lot in 2022

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

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.

In Week 13, Burrow slayed Mahomes and the Chiefs for the third time in his career, remaining undefeated against Andy Reid’s crew. He then beat the Browns for the first time as well in a mixed performance. Next up was a matchup against Tom Brady, who had a top-10 pass defense by his side, but Burreaux kept rolling, tossing four touchdowns in an incredible comeback after being down 17 points. Can he stay white-hot against Bill Belichick?

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Leading the way for several weeks, Allen has slipped in our NFL QB rankings as of late, thanks to a recent 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 a matchup against the Bears, who allow a lot of points, but they also rank as a top-ten pass defense, allowing just four 300-yard passers all season. Still, we expect Allen to put forth a dominant effort.

See where Josh Allen ranks in our NFL top 100 player rankings

2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

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.

Hurts’ season in 2022 is reminiscent of Jackson’s MVP year in 2019, only Hurts won’t have nearly as many passing touchdowns or rushing yards, but he will finish with more passing yards and rushing touchdowns. Most importantly, the Eagles are on track for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Hurts is a bonafide MVP candidate, if not the frontrunner, and will continue that effort against Dallas, despite their top-ranked defense.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

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, and he is just shy of being on pace to break the NFL’s single-season passing yardage record. It will only take one big day to get him back on track.

Taking on a talent-deprived Texans defense, Mahomes finished with the highest completion rate of his career at 87.8%. Mahomes will be back to posting video game numbers against a bottom-tier Seahawks defense next week.

Check out our latest NFL defense rankings and how they impact fantasy QBs

This article was originally published on Sportsnaut.com and is republished here with permission.