Once more, training camp is approaching. Looking ahead to the 2022 NFL season, here are the top 10 players.
The padding is thudding. Sprinklers are currently misting. It’s time for training camp. Here are the top 10 statistics for the 2022 NFL season, presented in no particular order.
1) Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers quarterback
In San Francisco, it is Lance Time. Everyone is in favour of young quarterbacks who watch games from the sidelines, take their time, and hone their skills without distraction or pressure. But eventually, the action must begin.
The Niners welcome the unpredictability. Jimmy Garoppolo was unable to solve a certain schematic puzzle, so Lance was brought in to do it. Garoppolo played on a team that advanced to the NFC championship game and came within a field goal of winning the Super Bowl. But his shortcomings were always made clear. Although Lance may not be as reliable as Garoppolo, he raises the team’s potential.
The Niners in 2022 have the widest range of possible outcomes of any team in the league. If you were sitting here at the beginning of August, you might be persuaded that they will win it all because of a combination of Kyle Shanahan’s redesigned offence, a strong defensive line, a redesigned secondary, and Lance. The possibility that they win six games exists as well: The defensive line regresses to the mean; Lance isn’t ready. The new starting quarterback is the deciding factor between the two.
2) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
Before the season begins, Goodell must balance two important factors. He will act as the chief appeals officer in Deshaun Watson’s upcoming appeal. The authority for the commissioner, or his designee, to challenge any decision made by the league’s recently appointed disciplinary officer, who on Monday imposed a six-game suspension, is tucked away in the fine print of the most recent CBA.
Daniel Snyder and the Washington Commanders are another minor issue. Snyder, the most caricature-likely evil owner in the league, keeps dragging the Washington team and the league into a quagmire of his own invention. Last Thursday, Snyder finally responded to inquiries from the House oversight committee while under oath. The congressional committee is still looking into the Washington location and claims that Snyder oversaw a hazardous work environment.
There are rumours that other owners are sick of Snyder’s behaviour and may try to have him kicked out of the league. Being a well-known litigator has protected Snyder and the franchise throughout his sleaze-filled tenure. But as the charges against the owner pile, including the allegation that he sent his league’s partners a set of fake books, Goodell may be forced to take action to try to get the owner fired.
3) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
The Chiefs’ chance to win a second championship last year was lost due to a second-half collapse in the AFC final. Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, key members of the team’s recent success, are no longer there, giving Kansas City a fresh look. For his quarterback and the pass catchers next to him, Hill was a once-in-a-lifetime field tilter who made things easier. He gave the entire offence the conviction that no deficit was insurmountable.
To lead another postseason drive, Mahomes will need to quickly click with his new supporting cast. Early in his career, he has had a wonderful life thanks to the perfect coach, franchise, and supporting cast. The Chiefs continue to have one of the league’s most talented rosters, but it is now up to Mahomes to improve those around him.
4) Sean McVay, LA Rams head coach
Since Bill Belichick in 2003–04, McVay hopes to become the first head coach to guide a club to back-to-back Super Bowl victories. According to sources, his new contract will surpass Belichick’s, making him the league’s highest paid coach.
While the Rams are attempting to secure a long-term contract with McVay, rumours continue to circulate that whenever the team’s cap transgressions of the previous few years start to catch up with it, McVay would be willing to leave the Rams for another job or TV work.
5) NFL Germany’s Dr. Alex Steinforth
The NFL’s global expansion has moved into a new stage. The league is expanding internationally currently, whereas in the past there was a strong emphasis on London (with references to matches in Canada and Mexico). In 26 markets across 8 nations, the NFL gave Exclusive International Home Market Areas to 18 teams. The NFL is concentrating on ensuring as many viewers as they can for games, wherever they may be, as it takes its streaming rights under its own wing. Dollars are dollars, and eyes are eyes.
Germany is the next major frontier. The NFL is hosting a regular season game in Munich for the first time. More than three million people lined up to get tickets for the November Buccaneers-Seahawks game. The popularity of the inaugural game will unavoidably result in a second game in 2023, with the possibility of additional games in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in subsequent years.
6) Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
The Aaron Rodgers will-he-won’t-he saga was finally resolved by the Packers during the summer. Rodgers committed to a huge three-year, $151 million contract. Will Rodgers play for the entire three years, then? The future? Does that imply he’s content? Pffft.
What is certain is that the Packers’ inability to improve over the offseason was due to Rodgers’ new contract. Behind the sofa, the group was able to find enough money to keep most of its core members. However, the cap squeeze meant that Green Bay had to say goodbye to important players. Davante Adams, a one-man offence posing as a receiver, was the biggest loss.
Although the Packers remain one of the NFL’s most talented teams, it’s difficult to identify more than one area in which they significantly improved this offseason. Although Rodgers is still at the top of his game and is vying for his third consecutive MVP award, it has been shown that he cannot lead a team to victory on his own.
7) Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner
Jones has already mentioned how comfortable his head coach’s chair is. According to Mike McCarthy, he is not in any difficulties. Jones would like to point out that he does have options. Jones will play a key role in determining if the Cowboys can mount a meaningful championship challenge, which would necessitate switching from McCarthy to one of his ready-to-go coordinators during the current season.
Jones, one of the league’s power brokers, will also play a significant role in any decisions regarding Daniel Snyder’s ownership of the Commanders and the Walton family’s purchase of the Broncos.
8) Josh McDaniels, the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach
The Raiders would be a strong competitor in any other NFL division if they were moved there. They would frequently be the preseason favourite. But if you put them in the AFC West, you’re looking at a squad that might come in first or last.
McDaniels took over a club with possibly the best skill position group in all of football in his second stint as head coach. He has the best receiver in the game in Adams. He possesses one of the top tight ends in Darren Waller. The pair boasts an overqualified third banana in Hunter Renfrow. By securing Derek Carr under a new contract, the Raiders are guaranteed a quarterback position with a player who is just getting better.
The Raiders ought to do well. The other AFC West teams appear to be more finished. McDaniels and company will probably be obliged to play the spoiler, slowing down the Chargers’ momentum, making Mahomes and the Chiefs’ lives difficult, and putting an end to the Walton-Wilson-Hackett era in Denver.
9) Ken Dorsey, the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator
No glaring weakness exists for the Bills. In the NFL, they have the strongest and most talented roster. They possess a superior quarterback. Everywhere on the field, they have playmakers. Their offensive line is strong. They have a strong defensive front. The league’s top safety tandem is on display in their secondary. They are far from the corner. The sole conceivable reason to be concerned is the appointment of Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator in place of Brian Daboll. With Allen, Daboll operated a specialised system. Although it’s likely that Dorsey will try to repeat that success, there might be some growing pains at first.
10) Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Brady’s decision to retire and then come out of retirement dominated the offseason news. After one trip to Salford, Brady realised he wasn’t quite ready to retire football after all. It is unclear if this will be his last season before accepting a lucrative position with FOX. Even at the age of 44, he is still at the height of his abilities. Another MVP-caliber campaign is more of an expectation than a projection at this point. The Buccaneers began the year as equal favourites with the Rams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl thanks to additions to the offense’s line and skill positions.
Read more: Serena Williams stuns with upset win at U.S. Open