Few quarterbacks in the National Football League have experienced the stark contrasts between two chapters of their careers as Matthew Stafford. The reigning NFL MVP spent twelve seasons with the Detroit Lions but had little success despite producing elite numbers. However, entering the sixth year of his Los Angeles Rams tenure this year, his career has shifted to a different trajectory, with some of the biggest honors in football on his resume.
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams recently talked about his teammate and quarterback Matthew Stafford, weighing on his football legacy. In this process, he took a subtle jab at the Detroit Lions, Stafford’s former team.
“The tough part about being a quarterback in this league is so much of your success, and how good you are, how legendary you’ll become is based off winning,” said Adams on a recent episode of the Pat McAfee Show. “And obviously, you start in a place like Detroit where they weren’t winning at the rate that the Rams have been since he’s been here since 2021. If his whole career had been here with a guy like Sean, yeah, they’d be saying, ‘Is this guy literally the best quarterback that’s ever played?’ Winning games obviously helps a lot with that. I just always respect the guys that can do it consistently for a really long time.”
Also said that QB Matthew Stafford could have been the GREATEST QB of all-time 👀
(via @PatMcAfeeShow | #OnePride )
The veteran WR’s comment may raise eyebrows, but considering Stafford’s more than a decade-long Lions career, he has a valid point.
An elite quarterback is usually judged by the numbers of wins and playoff success. Even though Stafford was racking up big numbers during his Lions tenure, his winning record told a different story alongside the lack of postseason success.
With Stafford leading the Lions at center, the franchise reached the playoffs only three times in twelve years, making the success rate only 25%. Moreover, he had an embarrassing 0-3 playoff record, as the team was eliminated each time in the Wild Card round. While he failed to open the account in the playoffs, he also had a losing record in the regular season. With the three-time Pro Bowler as QB, the Lions had a 74-90-1 record.
But the equation changed as soon as he was traded to the Rams, as Sean McVay unlocked his potential in a team surrounded by several Pro Bowlers. He won the Super Bowl in his debut season as the Rams QB1. The Rams reached the postseason in four of the five seasons he has played, and they are among the top picks to win the championship this year. Last year, the franchise fell short of reaching the Super Bowl, but the 38-year-old won the NFL MVP after throwing for 4,707 passing yards— the most in the league.
With Stafford leaving Detroit, the Lions received Jared Goff in the trade deal, who has been exceptional under Dan Campbell.
The Stafford-Goff Trade Helped Shape Detroit Lions’ Current Offense
Jared Goff has been instrumental to the success of the Detroit Lions under Dan Campbell, producing numbers as impressive as Stafford, taking the organization to the playoffs twice in five seasons.
Although Stafford was the leader in passing yards last season, Goff also had an impressive campaign, as he amassed 4,564 passing yards, sitting second on the list. Yes, they are yet to reach or win the Super Bowl, but Goff led them to the NFC Championship for the first time in three decades in 2023.
Moreover, from the two first-round selections of the Stafford-Goff trade, Brad Holmes picked up Jameson Williams in 2022 and Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023, who are pivotal to the Lions’ offense today.
Lions Get Subtle Jab From Rams’ Davante Adams With Bold Matthew Stafford Claim