NFL Network Analyst Likes Matthew Stafford's MVP Chances

Getty Matthew Stafford throws the football during the Los Angeles Rams' open practice on June 10.

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams continue to see the hype, respect and admiration of their pairing expand from the national media on the eve of training camp.

Does this mean anyone is sensing a Most Valuable Player caliber season out of Stafford? One national analyst on the NFL Network believes it.

NFL Network analyst Peter Schrager – who co-hosts the “Flying Coach” podcast with Rams head coach Sean McVay while also serving as one of the notable personalities on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football – is the latest believer in the Rams’ newcomer at quarterback.

In fact, it is Schrager who won’t be shocked if it’s Stafford who claims the league’s MVP award, he said on Thursday morning’s show. If it does happen, it’ll be Stafford’s first-ever MVP nod.

Schrager Has Long Sided with Stafford

Schrager said he always respected Stafford’s play throughout his career, even when playing on Detroit teams that finished at the bottom of the NFC North or were one-and-done from the NFC playoffs.

But Schrager is an ardent believer in Stafford benefitting greatly from being an L.A. Ram.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Schrager told the GMF crew. “I thought Stafford was in the MVP conversation on some bad Detroit Lions teams, teams that were struggling to get to .500 and Stafford was finding ways to win at the end of games, miraculously, three, four or five years ago.”

Schrager even reminded his fellow crew members that he placed Stafford in the MVP conversation before the 2020 season, saying “Last year, if you recall, I thought he was the dark horse of the MVP race before the season started. That didn’t come close to being true. Finally, this is the year. I feel like this is it.”

Why Schrager Believes This Will be Stafford’s MVP Season

Much like other media types who believe Stafford’s arm and the Rams are a perfect match, notably Chris Simms who placed him ahead of Tom Brady in his quarterback rankings on June 16 and Schrager’s NFL Network co-worker Rich Eisen who shared his own enthusiasm about Stafford to L.A. on June 13, Schrager points to what surrounds Stafford now as to why he’ll be on an MVP trek this season.

“If they (the Rams) are going to be what everyone is saying they’re going to be, including me, I’m leading that charge, then yeah he’s going to be in the MVP race because they’re going to put up huge numbers with McVay’s offense. He’s got all those great receivers, that great offensive line, one of the best defenses in the league. To go from a (Rams) team that was good last year to being a great team this year and then going to Stafford who was always good, but sometimes injured and sometimes just not getting wins when it mattered in December and January, I think this year it changes,” Schrager said. “So, I would say I won’t be surprised if the Rams are what I expect them to be. Matthew Stafford is going to be very, very much in that MVP conversation come January and February.”

More of the Stafford MVP conversation can be seen below.