The NFL season was wrapped in in spectacular fashion earlier in February when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in what would become the third highest scoring Super Bowl in history. The NFL lines set the opponents off as near even on the moneyline and there was proof as to why with the Chiefs taking a narrow victory via a late field goal.
With another thrilling season behind us, there were plenty of standout performers that have left fans purring heading into next year. Let’s take a look at the best performers of the 2022-23 NFL season.
Patrick Mahomes
Let’s be honest, Pat Mahomes is likely to be a dead cert on lists such as these for years to come. The Texas Tech graduate capped off another league leading regular season by winning his second Super Bowl with a second MVP performance, his first coming in the Chiefs victory over the 49ers in 2020. Mahomes finished as the league leader in passing yards (5,250), yards per game (308.8) and passing touchdowns (41). He had the highest passer rating (105.2) of any QB in the league with 14+ games played, finishing an extremely narrow second overall to Tua Tagavailoa though the Dolphins QB played four games fewer. His impact on the Chiefs since being drafted in 2017 is clear for all to see and with star receiver Travis Kelce in tow, it seems the good times will continue to roll going forward.
Travis Kelce
Sticking with the Super Bowl winners, Travis Kelce continued to be Mahomes’ go-to-guy in 2022. Number 87 finished with 1,338 overall yards (more than any tight end in the league by over 400 yards), second overall for receiving touchdowns with 12 and more receiving yards after catch than any other primary receiver in the league (648). On top of all that, Kelce went and broke his own record in the divisional playoff game against the Jaguars when he caught 14 passes, the most by a tight end in a playoff game. The previous record was set by Kelce in the 2020 AFC title game where he caught 13 passes against the Bills in the Chiefs’ victory. After trading Tyreek Hill in the offseason many questioned whether the Chiefs could replace his yards but the perennial All-pro Kelce has gone on to prove that he can put up his numbers and then some.
- Top performing players of NFL in the 2022-23 season
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Jalen Hurts
It was very hard not to feel sorry for Hurts after he came up on short in the Super Bowl. Under coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles were one of the biggest surprise performers of the season. Whilst they were expected to go well, their eight-game unbeaten run at the start of the season saw them emerge as clear Super Bowl contenders and much of that was down to Hurts’ heroics. Of QBs with 14+ games, Hurts finished second only to the aforementioned Mahomes in the QB ratings with a 101.6. His 13 rushing touchdowns were tied-second most in the league and more than any other QB. His rushing was incredibly impressive, his expected points added for designed QB runs being almost double of any other player in his position. He has now established himself as arguably the best dual threat QB in the league and will no doubt be a shoo-in to go one better and lift the Vince Lombardi trophy next year.
Justin Jefferson
Without Jefferson, there is no way that the Vikings would have gone an impressive 13-4 last season. The NFL Offensive Player of The Year was the number one target man in the league in 2022 with 128 receptions for 184 targets. He led the league in receiving yards (1,809), yards per game (106.4) and 20+ yard receiving plays (28). All of this despite quarterback Kirk Cousins having a relative down year based on his numbers. It was also a season of record-breaking for Jefferson. He set a new NFL record for the most receptions by a player in his first three seasons in the league as well as surpassing legendary receiver Randy Moss' team record of 1,632 receiving yards.
Nick Bosa
As good a season it was for offense, it would not be right to end this list without featuring a defensive player and who better than the Defensive Player of The Year? Bosa led the league with 18.5 sacks and 138 sack yards but what really stands out is his 48 quarterback hits. That number is 13 clear of second-place Maxx Crosby and 21 and 22 more than Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett, respectively. That would be esteemed company if he were to be level with them but to eclipse them as he has is a testament to his talent. The 49ers had the best defense in the league in 2022 and Bosa’s impact on that line is not lost on anyone. The edge rusher was the clear star of San Fran’s top ranked defense and at just 25-years-old there should still be plenty more to come.
