Third-year quarterbacks star as NFL enters fourth quarter of 2022 season
Four quarterbacks selected in the 2020 NFL Draft – Cincinnati’s JOE BURROW (No. 1 overall), Miami’s TUA TAGOVAILOA (No. 5), the Los Angeles Chargers’ JUSTIN HERBERT (No. 6) and Philadelphia’s JALEN HURTS (No. 53) – have shined in starting roles this season and each enter Week 14 ranked among the NFL’s top 10 in touchdown passes.
Only two draft classes over the last four decades have finished a season with four-or-more quarterbacks ranked among the top 10 in touchdown passes: The quarterback draft class of 1983 (Pro Football Hall of Famers JOHN ELWAY, JIM KELLY and DAN MARINO, and TONY EASON and KEN O’BRIEN in 1986), and the class of 2004 (ELI MANNING, PHILIP RIVERS, BEN ROETHLISBERGER and MATT SCHAUB in 2009).
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailo Photo: NFL
Burrow, who ranks second in the league in passing yards (3,446) and tied for second in touchdown passes (25), looks to secure his second-consecutive winning season as the CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-4) host the CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-7) on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Photo: NFL
Herbert and the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (6-6) host Tagovailoa, the NFL’s leader in passer rating (112.0), and the MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-4) on Sunday Night Football. Tagovailoa, who is 24 years old, is bidding to become the second-youngest qualified player ever to lead the league in passer rating, behind Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO, who was 23 years old in 1984.
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert Photo: AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo
Herbert, who ranks fourth with 3,339 passing yards in 2022 and has 12,689 career passing yards, can break the NFL record held by ANDREW LUCK (12,957) for the most passing yards by a player in his first three seasons. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (13,387) and TOM BRADY (13,281) have more passing yards than Herbert over the past three seasons.
Hurts and the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-1) look to secure their second-consecutive playoff berth under head coach NICK SIRIANNI when they visit the NEW YORK GIANTS (7-4-1) on Sunday, the first game of a three-game road trip for the Eagles. Kansas City (Weeks 13-15) and Miami (Weeks 13-15) are also in the midst of three-game road trips, three of the four to occur during the 2022 schedule (Green Bay – Weeks 7-9).
