Just a few months after the Los Angeles Rams were crowned NFL Champions for 2021, teams across the US are gearing up for the chance to earn their place in next February’s Super Bowl LVII. Tom Brady has come out of his six-week-long retirement, the draft saw teams expand their rosters, and trades and free agent signings have reshuffled the lineups of most franchises.
The Rams are reigning champions and look strong again for 2022. Most of the winning team has stuck together, with quarterback Matthew Stafford signing a contract extension, and the additions of Allen Robinson II and rookie Logan Bruss shore up key positions in wide receiver and offensive guard. The Buffalo Bills are highly tipped to make a Playoffs run again this season, after falling to the Chiefs at the Divisional stage last time around. Von Miller, a Super Bowl winner earlier this year with the Rams, will make an immediate impact in Buffalo’s defensive line. In Kansas City, the team that lost to the Bengals in the most recent AFC Championship game has enjoyed a pre-season boost from a draft full of exciting early round selections. The Chiefs took Trent McDuffie, a corner from Washington, and defensive end George Karlaftis from Purdue with their 2 first-round picks.
The offseason has been marked by a number of high-profile trades, with quarterbacks swapping jerseys all over the country. Russell Wilson’s blockbuster move from Seattle to Denver certainly left the Seahawks well compensated, and he should be an instant upgrade for the Broncos as they look to make the playoffs this season. The Colts acquired 37-year-old Matt Ryan from the Falcons, a solid trade but perhaps not a solution for the longer term. Jameis Winston re-signed with the Saints following an ACL injury in Week 8 last season, and both he and New Orleans will be hoping he can regain the form that gave the team a 5-2 start in 2021. Carson Wentz joined the Commanders, Mitchell Trubisky signed for the Steelers, and the Browns traded six future draft picks for Deshaun Watson, despite 22 ongoing civil lawsuits accusing the former Texans QB of sexual assault or misconduct.
At the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars used the very first pick to sign Georgia defensive end Travon Walker. It was a class hyped more for defensive talent than offensive prowess, and the second overall pick saw another defensive end, Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, claimed by the Detroit Lions. Derek Stingley Jr, a cornerback who won a championship with LSU in 2019, was snapped up by the Texans for the third pick. With the Jets taking Ahmad “Sauce” Garner and the Giants opting for Kayvon Thibodeaux, the draft was the first since 1991 where all 5 of the first picks were used for defensive players.
Although the teams have known their 2022 opponents since the end of last season, the NFL schedule release in mid-May delivered some noteworthy matchups. Russell Wilson will face his former fanbase in the very first week, when the Broncos travel to play the Seahawks in Seattle on 13 September. Christmas Day will offer the gift of 3 festive games, as the Cardinals host the Bucs, the Dolphins host the Packers, and the Broncos visit the Rams in Los Angeles.
The NFL is continuing its expansion into markets beyond the US, and the 2022 season will see 5 games played outside the league’s home country. The first, on 2 October, sets the Vikings against the Saints in London. A week later, on 9 October, the British capital will host the Giants against the Packers, and on 30 October the Broncos will play the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. Germany is also on the destination list, with the Seahawks hosting the Bucs at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 13 November. The final game in the international series is scheduled for 21 November, when the 49ers will take on the Cardinals in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Tickets for these games will be released later in the summer.
Clear eyes, full hearts, but someone has to lose – book your seats for the NFL 2022 season now!