5 QBs under most pressure to perform in 2022 NFL season

Every quarterback enters the NFL season with different expectations based on many factors. These include the team's outlook, contract situation, and past individual performances. With the 2022 NFL season less than three months away, here are the five quarterbacks who will have the most pressure to perform this year.

#5 - Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson is currently seeking a massive contract extension from the Baltimore Ravens as he enters the final year of his rookie deal this season. He skipped OTAs during the offseason, but then showed up for mandatory mini camp.

Jackson has been excellent during the regular season so far in his career, accumulating a 37-12 overall record while also winning the NFL MVP award for the 2019 season. His issues have come during the postseason, where he has a combined 1-3 record with just three touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Jackson has indicated that he wants to wait until the end of the season before signing a new deal, wanting to prove his value. It's a double-edged sword, as if he fails to deliver, he could find himself with less leverage in the negotiations.

#4 - Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Muray

Like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray is seeking a massive contract extension. Unlike Jackson, Murray isn't entering the final year of his rookie deal as he still has two years remaining. He is also unwilling to wait until the end of the season for a new contract to be signed. Murray has also accomplished much less than Jackson during his short career so far.

Murray has recorded just a 22-24-1 overall career record, including losing his only postseason game during the 2021 NFL playoffs. While Murray won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season and has also been selected to two Pro Bowls, he needs to prove he can consistently win games for the Arizona Cardinals before he can be counted among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

#3 - Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen

Josh Allen will enter the 2022 NFL season in a different situation than he has previously experienced. While he was a popular underdog pick to win the MVP award last season, he is the favorite to win it this year.

The Buffalo Bills are also the current preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl this year, as opposed to being a popular sleeper pick. There is much more pressure on Josh Allen this season than there has been any other year because of the spotlight and expectations, especially considering the 258 million dollar contract extension he signed last year.

#2 - Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott is in the middle of his four-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys worth 40 million dollars in AAV (average annual value). While he has consistently performed at a high level during the regular season, he has recorded just a 1-3 record in the postseason, including a disappointing one-and-done in the 2021 NFL playoffs.

Owner Jerry Jones has made it perfectly clear that he's extremely frustrated with the way the 2021 season concluded because he believes the Cowboys roster is good enough to make a deep postseason run. The pressure is now on for Prescott to lead the Cowboys deep into the playoffs in 2022.

#1 - Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

The pressure on Aaron Rodgers is directly related to his legacy. He has been one of the best regular-season quarterbacks in NFL history while winning four MVP awards, the second most of all time. His problems have been in the postseason, where he has just an 11-10 career record, including just a 7-9 record in the last decade.

A quarterback as good as Rodgers is expected to win multiple Super Bowl rings. Rodgers hasn't won one since the 2010 season, which was the only appearance of his career. Time is running out for the veteran, who just signed a contract worth 50 million dollars in AAV, the most in NFL history. His long absence from the Super Bowl has been a constant sticking point for his critics and without another, his legacy will be tainted. With the Green Bay Packers giving him a huge contract, its now put-up-or-shut-up time for the quarterback.