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Matthew Stafford is routinely thought of as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL not to get recognition thanks to the team he plays on.
That perception is finally starting to change a bit. The Detroit Lions quarterback, often overlooked, is getting more than his fair share of hype this offseason and most recently, Stafford was named to another prestigious list. NFL executives were polled for an ESPN piece revealing the top 10 quarterbacks in 2020. Stafford made the cut in the No. 10 position for this coming season.
Stafford isn’t within the top 5, but it’s a mild surprise to see him rising on such lists anyhow. Typically, Stafford is a middle of the pack quarterback in the mind of most across the league. This list only points to the fact that Stafford is on the rise in several circles, and it could be due to the expectation that he will have a great season this year.
That’s just what folks around the league seem to expect with this poll considered.
Matthew Stafford Named a Top NFC QB
Once again, Stafford has hit another significant list leading into the season. Former NFL lineman turned analyst Geoff Schwartz recently revealed a peek at who he considers to be the top NFC quarterbacks this season. Stafford was on the list, and in the No. 8 position overall.
Should Stafford have been higher or lower? Possibly higher, possibly ahead of names such as Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan, but there’s also a compelling argument for that trio and their teams heading into the 2020 season. Whether Stafford is No. 8 or No. 5 doesn’t really matter. His play will have to do the talking this coming season.
For now, though, Stafford is still thought of as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference and that is significant heading into a new season.
Matthew Stafford on Chris Simms’ Best QB List
This offseason, Stafford has been a darling in the minds of several in the media and continues to occupy a high spot on several lists. The most recent list that had him surging near the top came courtesy of former league signal caller Chris Simms.
Simms, who works for NBC Sports, annually puts out his top 40 quarterback list. Stafford checked in this season in the number 9 slot perhaps ironically considering his number. Stafford placed ahead of several bigger names on the list, including Super Bowl winners like Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger.
Stafford so high on this list will undoubtably ruffle some feathers across the league seeing as his trophy case is pretty empty, but this list is more an indication on who the top quarterbacks project to be in any given year. To that end, Stafford belongs. He’s likely to be one of the top 10 players at his position in the league this season.
Matthew Stafford High on Quarterback Tier List
Like every year, CBS Sports analyst Jason La Canfora put out his quarterback tier rankings, placing league signal callers into multiple categories. They are the bona fide franchise quarterbacks (tier 1), top pros and proven winners (tier 2), rising stars (tier 3), you can win with them (tier 4), guys, veterans and placeholders (tier 5), good luck (tier 6) and the jury is out (tier 7).
This offseason, Stafford fell into the “top pros and proven winners” category. Alongside him were Matt Ryan and Dak Prescott. In terms of the explanation why, La Canfora hinted that he is ready for Stafford to do some big winning, and thinks he will get to that in 2020 when healthy.
He said:
“Stafford has always been underappreciated and let down by those around him. He was looking like an MVP last year before he got hurt. I bet he picks up where he left off.”
Last season, Stafford was a tier 4 quarterback, or deemed “someone you can win with.” Obviously, La Canfora is looking at Stafford as a player on the rise for this season and thinks he can start to do some major winning on the field.
Obviously, with all of this news, it’s obvious that folks are very bullish on Stafford’s chances of a great 2020 season. That’s even more the case given the league’s executives seem high on what he can do.
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