Should the Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has only made one Pro Bowl in the previous fifteen years, make it this time?
Despite having at least one obvious omission from his resume that sets him apart from every other quarterback in Canton, Matthew Stafford—who is occasionally discussed as a Hall of Famer due to his Super Bowl victory and his ascent toward the top-10 lists all-time for passing yards and touchdowns—would need to receive enough votes. Stafford has only been selected for one Pro Bowl and neither the first nor second team All-Pro through his first 14 seasons in the NFL. It has been nearly ten years since he was last selected for a Pro Bowl roster.
Aside from Detroit’s 11-5 record, Stafford’s 2014 season with the Lions probably wasn’t one of his five best, as he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Considering what Stafford has accomplished for the 2023 Rams, should he be awarded that distinction a second time despite the fact that many people anticipated that Los Angeles would be closer to the top pick than the postseason?
His case is not too bad, but before the polls close, he and the Rams must have a successful season finale.
NFC competition
Before there are opt-outs and someone makes it to the Super Bowl but is opted out for that reason, the NFC names three quarterbacks to the Pro Bowl. That means we can guarantee two spots right away: Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott will be named to the Pro Bowl.
Of this, there should be no doubt.
Ironically, Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, and Jordan Love are Stafford’s true NFC rivals. In actuality, if we were to just look at stats, Stafford would have a stronger case than quarterbacks like Goff and Baker Mayfield, a fellow former Ram who has 16 touchdown passes.
Mayfield has a 90 to 87.3 passer rating advantage, 18 TD to 16 TD, 8 INT to 9 INT, as well as a higher completion percentage and passing yards.
But is Baker Mayfield having a better season than Matthew Stafford, really?
With victories over the Cardinals and Browns, Stafford has gained a lot of ground in the last two weeks, tossing seven touchdowns and just one interception. Additionally, the Rams’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks, an NFC West rival, has given him an edge over 2022 Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith.
Stafford is sixth in QBR but tenth in the NFC in passer rating. Despite ranking thirteenth in terms of completion percentage, he has contributed to Puka Nacua having one of the most remarkable and impactful rookie campaigns in wide receiver history. Stafford’s stats are not great, and they haven’t been since 2021, when he passed on 41 touchdown passes to an eventual Super Bowl champion and yet didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
Some, however, had predicted that Los Angeles wouldn’t win six games in a season, and the Rams are now 6-6 (6-5 when he starts).
This season, should Stafford make the Pro Bowl? The response is ambiguous. The fact that Tyler Huntley was selected to the Pro Bowl by the NFL the previous season does not always imply skill or worth. Sometimes it’s just a matter of the situation, and in any case, I imagine Stafford would decline an invitation. He is not required to go play a fictitious game in order to receive a pointless honor.
But his argument about the Hall of Fame won’t be quite so pointless. He could play in his first Pro Bowl in fifteen years. To make Canton without receiving the acknowledgment he typically deserved from colleagues and the press? That would be historic right now.