Which NFL GMs have helped and hurt their teams the most in 2022?

It’s NFL Week 17, which means we’ve had ample time to see how the offseason decisions of all 32 teams’ front offices have played out.

Some general managers helped construct squads that exceeded expectations and forced their way into the mix of contenders. Others overcame challenges to keep their teams near the front of the pack. A few failed miserably in their attempts to aggressively deliver championship-caliber rosters.

We’re taking stock across the league, evaluating some of the best and worst bodies of work by general managers and their staff. Who has helped themselves and their teams the most as the postseason approaches, and who could find themselves in danger of being fired this offseason?

Here’s a look at six GMs whose stock is up and six whose stock is down.

After a 51-14 Christmas Day throttling by the struggling Rams, coach Nathaniel Hackett took the fall, and in many respects, rightfully so. But Paton should not get a pass here as new Broncos owner Greg Penner determines the future of his franchise.

Penner said he had “confidence” in the Broncos GM in a statement announcing Hackett’s firing Monday. But it was Paton who hired Hackett, who rarely appeared suited to be a head coach during this dismal 4-11 campaign. And it was Paton who shipped five draft picks (including first- and second-rounders in 2022 and 2023) and three players to Seattle for Russell Wilson, who has looked like a shell of himself. And it was Paton who awarded Wilson a massive $240 million contract extension before the quarterback ever took a snap for Denver.

Now, not only are the Broncos stuck with Wilson and that awful contract for at least the next three seasons, they also lack the draft capital necessary to rebuild or to buy the contractual rights to Sean Payton away from the New Orleans Saints. You can’t miss on the coach and the quarterback, set the franchise back for years and years and expect your job to be safe.

The GM and his staff are being rewarded for having the foresight to draft Jalen Hurts, who replaced Carson Wentz as a starter late in his 2020 rookie season, and to replace coach Doug Pederson with Nick Sirianni in 2021. In the offseason, Roseman made aggressive moves. to surround Hurts with weapons (wide receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, among others) and the best line in football. He also upgraded the secondary with the key signing of James Bradberry to play opposite Darius Slay. It has all added up to give the Eagles, at 13-2, the best record in the league.

Keim is on an indefinite, health-related absence from the Cardinals that was announced by the team Dec. 14. In July, though, Keim gave into pressure from Kyler Murray and his agent and awarded the quarterback a $230 million contract extension, with $189.5 million guaranteed. That was despite the fact that the 2019 No. 1 pick had fizzled down the stretch in all three of his pro seasons. The Cardinals were 4-8 (now 4-11) when Murray suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Patriots on Dec. 12, putting his availability for the start of the 2023 season in question. Keim also signed off on a contract extension in March for Kliff Kingsbury, even though the coach had posted just one winning campaign in three seasons. The acquisitions of aging and ineffective veterans like AJ Green and Zach Ertz also haven’t panned out.

He flipped Matthew Stafford in 2021 for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third, and now Goff (top 10 in passing) looks like he could be more than just a short-term bridge. Meanwhile, smart draft selections are paying off. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston and Kerby Joseph are making key contributions, as are picks from last year’s draft. Holmes acquired more draft capital by trading tight end TJ Hockenson to Minnesota. As the young talent has rounded into form, the Lions have scratched and clawed their way back from 1-6 to force their way into the wild-card race at 7-8.

The swings-and-misses at quarterback continued: The Colts traded Wentz after one season and acquired Matt Ryan, who is on the decline and not the difference-maker Ballard and company saw him as. Indianapolis (4-10-1) started Nick Foles against the Chargers on Monday night, and lost. The Colts also attempted to retool their offensive line and were left with nothing but ill-fitting parts. That cost them dearly in the run game, which had ranked among their strengths. Former coach Frank Reich was the scapegoat during the regular season, but could Ballard be next for Jim Irsay? His team went from narrowly missing the playoffs in 2021 to double-digit losses in 2022.

Faced with the decision of whether to award top wide receiver Tyreek Hill a massive contract extension, Veach shipped Hill to the Dolphins in exchange for a first- and second-rounder, two fourths and a sixth. He retooled the receiving unit by adding JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and a collection of young, versatile players to support Patrick Mahomes. Despite all the changes, the Chiefs still own one of the best offenses and, at 12-3, a chance to land the AFC’s top seed.

The head coach hirings of David Culley and then Lovie Smith have not panned out. Meanwhile, the Texans passed on the chance to acquire a veteran bridge quarterback in free agency, opting instead to roll with Davis Mills once again. Talent deficiencies abound on this roster, and Houston (2-12-1) has suffered double-digit losses for a third straight season.

Up: Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins

The season’s goal was to maximize the investment in third-year pro Tua Tagovailoa. Grier armed the 2020 fifth pick with a creative, young offensive-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel and one of the game’s best wide receivers in Hill. Tagovailoa looked like an MVP candidate early, but the Dolphins’ losing streak has reached four games, and Tagovailoa is now in concussion protocol (again). It may turn out that he is not the answer for Miami, but the roster is well-stocked with talent on both sides of the ball.

Securing Lamar Jackson’s long-term future and surrounding him with enough talent to contend with Kansas City and Buffalo topped the Ravens’ to-do list for 2022. But with two weeks left in the regular season, Jackson still lacks a contract extension, and Baltimore’s struggles to find consistent and impactful playmakers for its quarterback have continued. The Ravens have locked up a playoff berth, but Jackson has missed the last three games with an injury, and prior to that, Baltimore’s offense had become stagnant despite featuring one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Meanwhile, Cincinnati (11-4) has turned things around after a slow start and overtaken the Ravens (10-5) for the top spot in the AFC North.

If you want an example of how to build a roster, look no further than the 49ers. Despite losing quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to injury, they haven’t missed a beat with rookie Brock Purdy (the last pick of the 2022 draft) playing quarterback at a high level. And injuries were not limited to the quarterback. The 49ers have had to play without key pieces on both sides of the ball off and on in 2022, yet they are still 11-4 and in the postseason for the third time in four seasons. The 49ers have used the draft, free agency and trades to strengthen their roster, boasting a wealth of weapons on offense and playmakers on defense.

The Packers (7-8) went from three straight 13-win seasons to struggling just to stay around .500 in 2022. A big reason for these struggles is related to the decision to trade top wide receiver Davante Adams to Las Vegas, leaving an aging (and highly paid) Aaron Rodgers without reliable and consistent game-changers. Moves on defense also haven’t translated into improvement for the Packers, who are in danger of missing the playoffs.

The first-year GM inherited a roster that had some talent but also needed an infusion of youth and depth to maximize potential. Adofo-Mensah’s first critical move was to hire Kevin O’Connell as head coach. The former journeyman quarterback and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips came in and modernized the Vikings offense. Then Adofo-Mensah made a series of smart moves in the draft by trading back to acquire more picks and meet important depth needs. Fast forward to the regular season, where the Vikings (12-3) have ranked among the top teams in the NFC. They have won in just about every manner imaginable — blowouts, nail-biters, comebacks. They’ve won pretty. They’ve won ugly. They figure to enter the postseason well-tested and looking at their best chance in years for a deep run.

(Top photo of George Paton: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)