Sure, his stats support that, but is it enough?

The Los Angeles Rams offense is clearly faltering, and this warrants careful examination. Given that the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, Matthew Stafford is under a lot of intense scrutiny in Los Angeles. Is he getting older? Are his gunslinger swagger and strong arm—two of his most sought-after qualities—truly in doubt?

The Rams offense has a lot of issues, and while Staff must take some of the blame, I don’t think he’s washing up or leaving SoFi Stadium. As usual, the answers are not straightforward. mainly for two reasons.

One, his physical skills are aging naturally, but neither they nor his gun-slinging approach and attitude are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Even though he isn’t a real threat with his feet, he is still very much a live man with the arm strength to make all the throws.

Two, there is a 2024–2025 contractual tie between the Rams and Staff. Before the cap numbers begin to move in favor of Los Angeles, it will be 2026. Making the case to eat all that dead money is really challenging. Indeed, there is a notable decrease in ’25, but it still represents a substantial portion. Furthermore, the trades made after June 1st don’t yield the large profits you would hope for when a costly player is moved.

But set all of that aside. Set aside this moment to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. This piece discusses Matthew Stafford’s legacy as his playing days are coming to an end and how, statistically speaking, he fits into the discussion surrounding his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame.

After 15 years of play, Staff has now appeared in 200 NFL games. And as a result, a wealth of statistics has been gathered. Even though statistics can be tedious to read, they are, at the very least, a reliable source of information about performance in the field. Pro Football Reference’s nine statistical categories and an additional Super Bowl appearance listing are shown below. Staff’s career averages are used to project his numbers, with a bias toward the lower end.

Is Matthew Stafford a candidate for the NFL Hall of Fame?

Games played/started

Tom Brady – 335 / 333

Brett Favre – 302 / 298

Drew Brees – 287 / 286

Active

t120. Aaron Rodgers – 231 / 224

t250. (approx.) Mathew Stafford – 200 / 200

Staff still has three strong seasons left, and there’s no reason to doubt that. He would surpass Earl Morrall in the Top 5 quarterback games played with 55 more, and since all of them would probably be starting quarterbacks, he would also rank among the top five in career quarterback starts. Of course, it’s still unclear how much an injury might affect that. Stafford’s physical toughness has long been praised; if he isn’t on the field, it’s an injury, not a hurt.

Passes attempted

Tom Brady – 12,050

Drew Brees – 10,551

Brett Favre – 10,169

Active

10. Aaron Rodgers – 7661

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *