The 2022 American football season was a remarkable year across both the professional and collegiate levels, marked by high-scoring championships, incredible quarterback play, and historic viewership numbers.
The NFL Season and Super Bowl LVII
The 2022 NFL season culminated on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with a highly anticipated matchup between the top seeds of each conference.
- The Champions: The Kansas City Chiefs (AFC) defeated the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC) in a 38–35 thriller.
- MVP Performance: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, completing 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns.
- A Valiant Effort: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts tied a Super Bowl record for quarterbacks by rushing for three touchdowns, while also passing for 304 yards and a score.
- The Climax: The high-scoring shootout was ultimately decided with just 11 seconds remaining when Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker drilled a 27-yard game-winning field goal.
College Football and the Heisman Trophy
The collegiate landscape was dominated by dynamic quarterback play, culminating in a Heisman Trophy race that featured four signal-callers as finalists.
USC’s Caleb Williams took home the most prestigious individual award in college football after throwing for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns, while also rushing for 10 scores. His exceptional play helped turn a struggling USC program into an 11–2 powerhouse in head coach Lincoln Riley’s first season.
| Player | School | Position | Heisman Voting Finish |
| Caleb Williams | USC | Quarterback | 1st (2,031 points) |
| Max Duggan | TCU | Quarterback | 2nd (1,420 points) |
| C.J. Stroud | Ohio State | Quarterback | 3rd (539 points) |
| Stetson Bennett | Georgia | Quarterback | 4th (349 points) |
Beyond the final scores, the 2022 season was filled with notable milestones and cultural impact:
- Record-Breaking Viewership: Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVII averaged 115.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched television program in American history at the time.
- Halftime Spectacle: Pop superstar Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, drawing a peak viewership of 121 million people.
- Transfer Portal Impact: Caleb Williams’ Heisman win highlighted the growing power of the NCAA transfer portal. Having transferred from Oklahoma to USC, he became the fourth transfer quarterback to win the award in a six-year span.
- USC’s Historic Fraternity: With Williams’ victory, USC became the first school in college football history to have eight different players win the Heisman Trophy.
A Deep Dive into 2022 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 2022 – The 2022 Rose Bowl, played in Pasadena, California, was a thrilling, high-scoring matchup between the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 11 Utah Utes. In what is widely considered an instant classic, Ohio State completed a massive comeback to defeat Utah 48–45.
- January 23, 2022 – The Infamous 13-second AFC Divisional Playoff between the Chiefs and the Bills, where quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen led their teams to a scoring spree, including a 13-second drive to victory for Kansas City.
- January 23, 2022 – The sports world nearly witnessed the greatest encore in Tom Brady’s career. Inside a raucous Raymond James Stadium, the Los Angeles Rams had built a commanding 27–3 lead midway through the third quarter, appearing to bury the defending champions. But as the sun set in Tampa, Brady began a methodical, turnover-fueled resurrection that tied the game with just 42 seconds remaining. What followed was a definitive moment in NFL lore: a “love of the game” route that allowed Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp to snatch victory from the jaws of a historic collapse. Final Score: Los Angeles Rams 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27.
- February 13, 2022 – Super Bowl LVI: The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 at SoFi Stadium. [Source]
- March 16, 2022 – The Seattle Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick to Denver for a massive haul: QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DE Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 No. 9 overall, 2023), two second-round picks (2022, 2023), and a 2022 fifth-round selection.
- May 16, 2022 – The NFL announced that the streaming service Peacock would have its first “stream-only” playoff game during the 2023 postseason. It would be a prime-time Wild Card game on January 13, 2024. The contest was the Miami Dolphins vs. the Kansas City Chiefs NFL Wild Card game on Saturday, January 13, 2024. Extremely cold temperatures in KC derailed the warm-blooded Dolphins’ offense, but also made the game memorable and controversial. (source)
- March 17, 2022 – The Green Bay Packers traded All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for 2022 first-round (No. 22) and second-round (No. 53) draft selections.(Wikipedia)
- March 18, 2022 – The Houston Texans traded quarterback Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a massive draft haul: first- and fourth-round picks in 2022, first- and third-round picks in 2023, and first- and fourth-round picks in 2024. (Wikipedia)
- March 21, 2022 – The Atlanta Falcons traded former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2022 third-round draft selection (No. 82). (Indianapolis Colts)
- March 23, 2022 – The Kansas City Chiefs traded All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for five draft picks: a first-, second-, and fourth-round selection in 2022, alongside fourth- and sixth-round selections in 2023. (Reddit)
- June 2, 2022 – Stephon Tuitt, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end, officially announced his retirement, following a standout eight-year NFL career. It is believed that a family tragedy months earlier steered him in this direction.
- June 2, 2022 – Malcolm Jenkins, the standout veteran safety and three-time Pro Bowler, announced his retirement from the NFL.
- June 17, 2022 – The legendary San Francisco 49ers halfback Hugh McElhenny died at the age of 93, per 49ers.com. Nicknamed “The King,” McElhenny was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and is remembered for his spectacular elusiveness as a core member of the 1950s “Million Dollar Backfield.”
- July 3, 2022 – The Inaugural USFL Championship Game: In 2022, the Birmingham Stallions defeated the Philadelphia Stars 33-30 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, concluding the league’s return season. (Source)
- July 7, 2022 – Flag Football Makes Its Global Debut – Marking a massive milestone in the sport’s international expansion, The World Games 2022 officially kicked off its 10-day event in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 7, 2022, featuring flag football as an official medal sport for the very first time. Co-sponsored heavily by the NFL as part of its grassroots global strategy, this tournament served as the critical launching pad that ultimately led to flag football being approved for its debut at the 2028 Olympic Games.
- October 20, 2022 – Carolina traded RB Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco in exchange for 2023 second, third, and fourth round selections, and a 2024 fifth round selection. [Source]
- November 1, 2022 – Chase Claypool Trade: The Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2023 second-round draft pick. The following spring, Pittsburgh used that 32nd overall pick to select cornerback Joey Porter Jr. [Source]
- November 1, 2022 – Bradley Chubb Trade: The Denver Broncos sent linebacker Bradley Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for running back Chase Edmonds, a 2023 first-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-round pick. [Source]
- December 20, 2022 – Hall of Fame Running Back Franco Harris passed away unexpectedly. This was just days before his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, would celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his Immaculate Reception at the Steelers-Raiders game at Acrisure Stadium.
