Ranking the AFC West quarterback rooms for 2022

How does the Chiefs’ quarterbacks room stack up against the rest of their rivals in the AFC West heading into 2022?

We have already looked at the running backs in the AFC West and how they match up with one another. In the second installment of this series ranking the positional groups within the division, we will take a look at the quarterback rooms of the Kansas City Chiefs and their rivals.

In my opinion, this will be the most fun part of the series. It was the most fun to write, so I hope it is the most fun for you all to read. Anyway, let’s get on with the analysis.

Broncos: Russell Wilson

When the Broncos successfully traded for Russell Wilson a few days before free agency started, many Broncos fans thought they had finally found what they needed to make the Broncos one of the best teams in the AFC. And, while they had other holes they needed to address, they weren’t far off from the truth.

In his 10-year tenure with Seattle, Russell Wilson recorded 37,059 yards, 292 TDs, and a 101.8 passer rating. That’s an average of 3,705.9 yards per season. Which, to be honest, isn’t all that impressive. It’s about 100 yards below the average yards for the 2021 season. However, his 2012 and 2021 seasons are the two seasons that drop that total. Meaning, his rookie season and last season.

In 2021, Wilson missed three games with an injured pinky finger on his throwing hand. Upon returning, he took a few weeks to return to the QB we’ve come to know. Wilson will make the Broncos a better team. How much better? We’ll have to find that out in about 3.5 months

BACKUP QB: Brett Rypien, Josh Johnson

Points: 2

Chargers: Justin Herbert

A beneficiary of the Tyrod Taylor curse, Justin Herbert has grown to be a very good QB for the LA Chargers. In 32 games with the Chargers, Herbert has completed 839 passes for 9,350 yards on 1,267 attempts. He’s thrown 69 TDs and 25 INTs. Overall, he’s a very good QB and the Chargers have found their guy.

There’s really nothing negative to be said about Herbert. Sure, he has a good receiving corps and a good RB, but if that argument can’t be used with Mahomes (swap good RB for great TE), then it can’t be used against Herbert either. I don’t like the Chargers at all, but Herbert is undeniably fun to watch.

BACKUP QB: Chase Daniel, Easton Stick

Points: 3

Raiders: Derek Carr

Now that Ben Roethlisberger has retired, Derek Carr is the longest-tenured QB in the AFC. Drafted in the 2nd Round in 2014, Carr has recorded 31,700 yards, 193 TDs, and 85 INTs in his career. He’s only made the playoffs once in his career, in 2021. Carr is by no means a bad quarterback. But in a division also consisting of Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert, and Patrick Mahomes, there’s not much to be said about Carr.

BACKUP QB: Nick Mullens, Jarrett Stidham

Points: 1

Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes

According to Mahomes haters, this season is the true test of his ability. Now that Hill has been traded to the Dolphins and “there’s nobody to replace him”, how could he be good?

But here’s the way I see it. In his first season as a starter, Mahomes recorded 5,097 yards, 50 TDs, and was the League MVP. He has never recorded less than 4,000 yards in a season as the starter.

I am curious to see how he fares with a basically brand-new WR corps, but I believe he will be perfectly fine. We’re already hearing good things with OTA news.

BACKUP QB: Chad Henne, Shane Beuchele

Points: 4

The Best: Chiefs

This is not just because I’m a massive Mahomes fan. He’s simply the best QB in the AFC West. Wilson is getting older, Herbert has never made the playoffs, and Carr has only beat Mahomes once in several career matchups.

Backup QBs were the deciding factors between the Chargers and Broncos. This is, after all, an evaluation of QB rooms, not just the starters. Chase Daniel is a veteran backup. Meanwhile, in the 2021 season, Brett Rypien threw only two passes and completed neither. Granted, in the 3 games he played in 2020, he did alright, but I will weigh Daniel’s experience over that of Rypien’s.

With both the running back and quarterback comparisons done, where does each team fall in the rankings? Here’s the list:

1. Chargers (6)
2. Chiefs (6)
3. Raiders (5)
4. Broncos (3)