Matthew Stafford is entering his 17th NFL season and fifth since being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
The 37-year-old has continued to play at a high level and once again should have the Rams in the conversation to win a Super Bowl this season.
In a poll conducted by ESPN, NFL executives, coaches and scouts collectively voted Stafford as the No. 6 quarterback going into the 2025 season.
One NFL coordinator highlighted Stafford’s toughness and pinpoint accuracy:
“Cause he’s tough as s—,” an NFL coordinator said. “Elite poise and toughness in the pocket. The ability to throw with timing and location while he’s about to get hit in the chin is among the best.”
Another coordinator praised Stafford for his ability to improvise and convert long third downs:
“A big factor for quarterbacks is what they can do on third-and-10 — Matt scares you more than almost anybody in that situation,” the coordinator said. “And he can make plays off-schedule.”
Stafford actually dropped on ESPN’s annual list as he was ranked the No. 5 quarterback going into last season. However, that has more to do with the overall competition on the list rather than his performance.
The only quarterbacks ranked above Stafford this year are the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes (No. 1), Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.
Stafford is coming off another solid season that saw him complete 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns in 16 games. The veteran quarterback led the Rams to the playoffs for a second consecutive year and was only a few plays away from potentially knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
In addition to his success on the field, Stafford has been lauded by several Rams teammates for the leadership he provides. Quentin Lake said earlier this offseason that Stafford is a surefire Hall of Famer whenever he decides to step away from football.
Davante Adams compares Matthew Stafford to Aaron Rodgers
The Rams made a splash when they signed Davante Adams to a two-year, $46 million contract at the start of free agency.
The 32-year-old has caught passes from Aaron Rodgers for the better part of his career and now will get to work with another respected veteran in Matthew Stafford.
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark recently relayed that Adams has been impressed with Stafford and is already comparing him to Rodgers in his prime.
