Matthew Stafford may be past his prime, but the Los Angeles Rams star quarterback and reigning NFL MVP remains at the top of his game.
“As elite a passer as there is in the league,” an unnamed rival general manager said about Stafford, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer in a poll of 104 executives from around the NFL on September 8.
Stafford finished second on the list, behind only Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
“The respect for Stafford has always been there. But the way he played last year left a mark with those in his path. He jumped five spots, breaking the two-year hold that [Patrick] Mahomes, Allen, [Lamar] Jackson and [Joe] Burrow had on the top four spots,” Breer wrote.
“Few players are capable of playing and operating from the pocket like Stafford, which is why no one has any problem projecting him at 38 years old to stay near the top.”
This is just the latest recognition for Stafford.
He ranked third in a similar exercise from ESPN, behind only Allen and Mahomes, with one unnamed coordinator polled providing a snapshot of how the reigning MVP and regular-season passing touchdowns and yards leader could be anything other than first or second.
“The system helps him,” the coordinator said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in July, amid otherwise clear praise for the Rams’ Pro Bowl quarterback. “He has an elite offensive coach and elite weapons. He’s great, don’t get me wrong. He has advantages that some of the other quarterbacks don’t have.”
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Stafford’s age and career arc have been a big topic of discussion amid his climb in the rankings among various media outlets and NFL circles.
At least in 2026, former Detroit Lions teammate and backup Dan Orlovsky expects a hot start.
“I think that you expect this offense to kind of pick up where it was last year,” Orlovsky said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on September 7. “This offensive line is intact, the perimeter players are healthy, both backs are healthy, and Matthew, obviously, has had a healthy offseason in comparison to last year. So, yeah, I fully expect this offense to play the way we were accustomed to it.
“San Francisco, obviously, a very good defense and very talented defense. We’ll see what [Nick] Bosa’s like coming back from the injury. Mykel Williams, his impact on their defense. Fred Warner being back. But yeah, I expect this Rams offense to kind of click on all cylinders.”
Orlovsky also weighed in on the disparity in travel plans between Stafford’s Rams and the 49ers, using an anecdote about a game between the Lions and Kansas City Chiefs from 2015.
It took place in London, where Stafford and the Rams played just last season.
Dan Orlovsky Weighs in on Rams Travel Plan Controversy
The Chiefs, like the Rams with this trip to Australia, flew in a day ahead. Orlovsky and Stafford’s Lions, much like the 49ers, arrived early to acclimate themselves, leading the now-analyst to believe they would “destroy” their competition.
The Chiefs won that contest 45-10, and Orlovsky’s greatest certainty now is the impact that the Rams’ approach will have on the turnaround.
It could be significant.
“All I do know is, coming back–you still have 16 more games,” Orlovsky said. “So coming back, I think, is what everybody is probably more worried about than maybe just one game here to lead this whole thing off.”
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