The Los Angeles Rams watched Matthew Stafford add an MVP award as an accolade after a career season in 2025.
Now, the 38-year-old quarterback is gaining more steam heading into his 18th NFL campaign.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked Stafford as the NFL’s most clutch quarterback entering 2026, placing him one spot ahead of Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.
Gagnon pointed to Stafford’s recent performance in tight games as the difference, writing that the reigning MVP “edges out the legendary Mahomes, mainly because of what he’s done for us lately.”
Stafford posted a 115.4 passer rating in the fourth quarter of one-score games over the past two seasons, according to Bleacher Report. His rating sits at 107.0 when extending the sample back to 2020.
Those numbers fit with what the Rams saw from Stafford during their run to the NFC Championship Game last season.
Stafford’s Late-Game Numbers Separate Him From Mahomes
Stafford delivered two game-winning drives during the 2025 postseason, helping Los Angeles survive road games at Carolina and Chicago before falling at Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.
Against Carolina, Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 win. One week later, the Rams escaped Chicago with a 20-17 overtime victory, with Pro Football Reference crediting Stafford with yet another postseason game-winning drive.
Even the loss in Seattle offered a reminder of Stafford’s ability to perform under pressure. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, finishing with a 127.6 passer rating in the 31-27 defeat.
Bleacher Report also highlighted a metric that further separated Stafford from the field. He generated 0.45 expected points added per dropback when trailing in the second half during the 2025 regular season. No other qualifying quarterback topped 0.31.
Mahomes owns the stronger long-term playoff case.
Over the past five seasons, the Chiefs quarterback recorded a 113.2 passer rating with seven touchdowns and one interception in the fourth quarter of one-score postseason games, per Gagnon. He also produced six playoff game-winning drives during that span.
Stafford’s recent surge, however, was enough to earn the top spot.
Stafford’s Clutch Label Adds to Career Year With Rams
The ranking arrives after Stafford authored one of the best seasons of his career.
He led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes in 2025 while throwing only eight interceptions. That production helped Stafford capture the first Associated Press NFL MVP award of his career.
Stafford also entered rare territory as a late-game quarterback. Pro Football Reference credits him with 50 career regular-season game-winning drives and 39 fourth-quarter comebacks. He has added five game-winning drives in the postseason.
His history in those situations goes beyond last year.
Stafford helped close out three playoff victories during Los Angeles’ run to the Super Bowl following the 2021 season, including the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LVI.
Therefore, the Rams get a proven answer in Stafford when games tighten late, something that could become even more valuable as they chase another NFC title in 2026.
Mahomes has a reputation around delivering in those moments on the league’s biggest stage.
For Stafford to finish ahead of him in a clutch-quarterback ranking speaks to how productive the Rams veteran has been late in games.
After winning MVP at 37, Stafford enters the new season with a big-time label attached to his name — and the numbers suggest a belief that he can keep delivering when the margin is smallest.
LA Rams’ Matthew Stafford Beats Patrick Mahomes in Critical QB Attribute