The 2022 NFL season was the 103rd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 8, 2022, with the defending Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams falling to Buffalo in the NFL Kickoff Game, and ended on January 8, 2023. The playoffs started on January 14 and concluded with Super Bowl LVII, the league's championship game, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, with Kansas City defeating Philadelphia.
The former Washington Redskins, after two seasons of using the placeholder name Washington Football Team, were renamed the Washington Commanders prior to the start of the season.
The week 17 game between Buffalo and Cincinnati was canceled after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered a nonfatal cardiac arrest on the field of play. It was the first regular season game to be canceled and not rescheduled since the 1987 NFLPA players' strike.
Player movement The 2022 NFL league year and trading period began on March 16. On March 14, teams were allowed to exercise options for 2022 on players with option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2021 contracts and fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "top 51" definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team's payroll must have a combined salary cap). On March 16, clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with players whose contracts had expired and thus became unrestricted free agents.
This season's salary cap increased to $208.2 million per team, up from both of the previous seasons impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, $198.2 million in 2020 and $182.5 million in 2021.
Free agency Free agency began on March 16. Notable players to change teams included:
Quarterbacks Andy Dalton (Chicago to New Orleans), Marcus Mariota (Las Vegas to Atlanta) and Mitchell Trubisky (Buffalo to Pittsburgh) Running backs Chase Edmonds (Arizona to Miami), Ronald Jones II (Tampa Bay to Kansas City), Sony Michel (Los Angeles Rams to Miami), and Raheem Mostert (San Francisco to Miami) Wide receivers D. J. Chark (Jacksonville to Detroit), Russell Gage (Atlanta to Tampa Bay), Jakeem Grant (Chicago to Cleveland), Julio Jones (Tennessee to Tampa Bay), Zay Jones (Las Vegas to Jacksonville), Christian Kirk (Arizona to Jacksonville), Jarvis Landry (Cleveland to New Orleans), Allen Robinson (Chicago to Los Angeles Rams), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pittsburgh to Kansas City), and Sammy Watkins (Baltimore to Green Bay) Tight ends Evan Engram (New York Giants to Jacksonville), Gerald Everett (Seattle to Los Angeles Chargers), Austin Hooper (Cleveland to Tennessee), O. J. Howard (Tampa Bay to Buffalo), Hayden Hurst (Atlanta to Cincinnati), Kyle Rudolph (New York Giants to Tampa Bay), and C. J. Uzomah (Cincinnati to New York Jets) Offensive linemen Terron Armstead (New Orleans to Miami), Duane Brown (Seattle to New York Jets), Alex Cappa (Tampa Bay to Cincinnati), La'el Collins (Dallas to Cincinnati), Austin Corbett (Los Angeles Rams to Carolina), Ted Karras (New England to Cincinnati), Andrew Norwell (Jacksonville to Washington), Rodger Saffold (Tennessee to Buffalo), Brandon Scherff (Washington to Jacksonville), and Laken Tomlinson (San Francisco to New York Jets) Defensive linemen Carlos Dunlap (Seattle to Kansas City), Folorunso Fatukasi (New York Jets to Jacksonville), Dante Fowler (Atlanta to Dallas), Akiem Hicks (Chicago to Tampa Bay), Sebastian Joseph-Day (Los Angeles Rams to Los Angeles Chargers), and Jarran Reed (Kansas City to Green Bay) Linebackers Randy Gregory (Dallas to Denver), Jordan Hicks (Arizona to Minnesota), Myles Jack (Jacksonville to Pittsburgh), Chandler Jones (Arizona to Las Vegas), Cory Littleton (Las Vegas to Carolina), Haason Reddick (Carolina to Philadelphia), Von Miller (Los Angeles Rams to Buffalo), Foyesade Oluokun (Atlanta to Jacksonville), Za'Darius Smith (Green Bay to Minnesota), and Bobby Wagner (Seattle to Los Angeles Rams) Defensive backs James Bradberry (New York Giants to Philadelphia), Stephon Gilmore (Carolina to Indianapolis), Casey Hayward (Las Vegas to Atlanta), J. C. Jackson (New England to Los Angeles Chargers), Tyrann Mathieu (Kansas City to New Orleans), Marcus Maye (New York Jets to New Orleans), Rodney McLeod (Philadelphia to Indianapolis), D. J. Reed (Seattle to New York Jets), Justin Reid (Houston to Kansas City), Logan Ryan (New York Giants to Tampa Bay), Charvarius Ward (Kansas City to San Francisco), Jordan Whitehead (Tampa Bay to New York Jets), Darious Williams (Los Angeles Rams to Jacksonville), Marcus Williams (New Orleans to Baltimore), and Xavier Woods (Minnesota to Carolina) Kicker Greg Zuerlein (Dallas to New York Jets) Punters Johnny Hekker (Los Angeles Rams to Carolina), Thomas Morstead (Atlanta to Miami), and Bradley Pinion (Tampa Bay to Atlanta)
Trades The following notable trades were made during the 2022 league year:
March 16: Seattle traded QB Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth round selection to Denver in exchange for QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, and DE Shelby Harris along with 2022 first (No .9), second, and fifth round selections, and 2023 first and second round selections. March 16: Indianapolis traded QB Carson Wentz and a 2022 second round selection to Washington in exchange for a 2022 second round selection and a 2023 conditional third round selection. March 16: Chicago traded LB Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for 2022 second and sixth round selections. March 16: Las Vegas traded DE Yannick Ngakoue to Indianapolis in exchange for CB Rock Ya-Sin. March 16: Dallas traded WR Amari Cooper and a 2022 sixth round selection to Cleveland in exchange for 2022 fifth and sixth round selections. March 16: New England traded LB Chase Winovich to Cleveland in exchange for LB Mack Wilson. March 17: Green Bay traded WR Davante Adams to Las Vegas in exchange for 2022 first and second round selections. March 18: Houston traded QB Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth round selection to Cleveland in exchange for 2022 first and fourth round selections, 2023 first and third round selections, and 2024 first and fourth round selections. March 21: Atlanta traded QB Matt Ryan to Indianapolis in exchange for a 2022 third round selection. March 23: Kansas City traded WR Tyreek Hill to Miami in exchange for 2022 first, second, and fourth round selections along with 2023 fourth and sixth round selections. April 5: Miami traded WR DeVante Parker and a 2022 fifth round selection to New England in exchange for a 2023 third round selection. April 28: Tennessee traded WR A. J. Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for 2022 first and third round selections. April 28: Baltimore traded WR Marquise Brown and a 2022 third round selection to Arizona in exchange for a 2022 first round selection.
August 15: Philadelphia traded TE J. J. Arcega-Whiteside to Seattle in exchange for FS Ugo Amadi. October 9: Atlanta traded LB Deion Jones and a 2024 seventh round selection to Cleveland in exchange for a 2024 sixth round selection. October 20: Carolina traded RB Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco in exchange for 2023 second, third, and fourth round selections, and a 2024 fifth round selection. October 26: Chicago traded DE Robert Quinn to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2023 fourth round selection. October 27: The New York Giants traded WR Kadarius Toney to Kansas City in exchange for 2023 third and sixth round selections. October 31: Chicago traded LB Roquan Smith to Baltimore in exchange for LB A. J. Klein along with 2023 second and fifth round selections. November 1: Detroit traded TE T. J. Hockenson a 2023 4th round and a conditional 2024 4th round to Minnesota in exchange for a 2023 second-round selection and a 2024 third-round selection. November 1: Pittsburgh traded WR Chase Claypool to Chicago in exchange for a 2023 second-round selection. November 1: Denver traded LB Bradley Chubb along with a 2025 fifth-round selection to Miami for RB Chase Edmonds, a 2023 first-round selection, and 2024 fourth-round selection. November 1: Buffalo traded RB Zack Moss and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick to Indianapolis for RB Nyheim Hines.
Retirements
Notable retirements
WR Larry Fitzgerald - Eleven-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two-second team), and 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year. Played for Arizona during his entire 17-year career. RB Frank Gore – Five-time Pro Bowler and one-time second-team All-Pro. Played for San Francisco, Indianapolis, Miami, Buffalo, and the New York Jets during his 16-year career. K Stephen Gostkowski – Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team), and three-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII). Played for New England and Tennessee during his 15-year career. TE Rob Gronkowski – Five-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, and LV), and 2014 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for New England and Tampa Bay during his 11-year career. RB Todd Gurley – Three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team), 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year, and 2017 Offensive Player of the Year. Played for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta during his six-year career. G Richie Incognito – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo, Miami, and the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders during his 15-year career. SS Malcolm Jenkins – Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time second-team All-Pro, and two-time Super Bowl champion (XLIV and LII). Played for New Orleans and Philadelphia during his 13-year career. LB Ryan Kerrigan – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Washington and Philadelphia during his 11-year career. C Alex Mack – Seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time second-team All-Pro. Played for Cleveland, Atlanta, and San Francisco during his 13-year career. LB Clay Matthews III – Six-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team), and Super Bowl XLV champion. Played for Green Bay and the Los Angeles Rams during his 11-year career. QB Ben Roethlisberger – Six-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion (XL and XLIII), and 2004 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Played for Pittsburgh during his entire 18-year career. OT Mitchell Schwartz – Four-time All-Pro (one first-team, three second-team) and Super Bowl LIV champion. Played for Cleveland and Kansas City during his nine-year career. CB Richard Sherman - Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (three first-team, two second-team), and Super Bowl XLVIII champion. Played for Seattle, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay during his 10-year career. LB Terrell Suggs - Seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro (one first team, one second team), two-time Super Bowl champion (XLVII and LIV), 2003 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and 2011 Defensive Player of the Year. Played for Baltimore, Arizona, and Kansas City during his 19-year career. FS Eric Weddle – Six-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three second-team), and Super Bowl LVI champion. Played for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore, and the Los Angeles Rams during his 14-year career. OT Andrew Whitworth – Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team), 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year, and Super Bowl LVI champion. Played for Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Rams during his 16-year career.
Other retirements
Draft The 2022 NFL draft was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from April 28–30. Jacksonville, by virtue of having the worst record in , held the first overall selection and selected linebacker Travon Walker out of Georgia.
Officiating changes