5 teams who may look to tank in 2022 NFL season

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll; NFL Combine

#3 – Seattle Seahawks

It's difficult to imagine a team coached by Pete Carroll tanking per se; it simply isn't in his DNA to not give everything.

However, this process will be taken out of his control by just how poor the Seahawks roster is compared to what they've had in recent seasons.

The decline of the team that reached back-to-back Super Bowls has been underway for some time, and the decision to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos all but confirmed that the Seahawks were readying for a challenging 2022.

You can't win without quarterback excellence in the NFL, and in Drew Lock, the Hawks don't have that. He didn't show much in Denver and will merely be a stop-gap in Seattle before Wilson's replacement arrives.

Many thought this would happen in 2022, with Seattle looking to expedite their rebuild by drafting Malik Willis in the first round or trading for Baker Mayfield, yet neither happened.

This was as clear a sign as any that the Seahawks are preparing for a tough 2022 NFL season and will look to reload in the draft next year.

Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions

#4 – Detroit Lions

This offseason, Detroit had a strong NFL Draft, getting several valuable pieces in key defensive positions, not least being able to snag the best pass rusher in the class in Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2.

Unfortunately for the Lions, they lack depth and real quality beyond this latest pick-up, and Jared Goff will have a huge task in turning his career around this season.

Unlike the teams mentioned above, Goff does have some degree of NFL pedigree, having led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl in his earlier days, but that player does seem long gone now.

The Lions will have outside hopes that he can recapture that form in 2022. If not, the team won't be disappointed to be picking near the top of the draft in 2023, especially with the quarterbacks on offer, giving them a chance to move on from Matthew Stafford finally.

Washington Commanders Introduce Carson Wentz

#5 – Washington Commanders

Ever since Ron Rivera took over in Washington, it has felt like the team is gradually improving, even though they've recorded just seven wins in both of his first two seasons.

While the team has a new name following the 2022 offseason, it's expected to be much the same for the Washington franchise in the NFL this term.

Carson Wentz's arrival does nothing to improve the quality of the roster. He is an expensive quarterback who the team only took because he was available. If anything, they did the Colts a favor by agreeing to a deal.

Thankfully, the Commanders have the option to get out of this contract at the end of the season and look to plan for the future, building around their promising young defense, led by Chase Young.

Their unwillingness to address issues in the secondary this offseason suggests that the Commanders are okay with a tough year in 2022, provided it sets them up well for the future.