The Los Angeles Rams will go as far as Matthew Stafford takes them, and the rest of the NFL is well aware of how dangerous the reigning MVP is on the football field.
However, some cannot help but note that the Rams star is on the back end of his career. He also dealt with a back injury last offseason, requiring some unconventional rehab methods and still almost landing on injured reserve.
This offseason, Stafford is seemingly flying in the face of his detractors.
Matthew Stafford Dealing Despite Red Flag
GettyMatthew Stafford
Stafford landed in the top group of The Athletic’s QB Tiers, with the Rams star tying Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills for second place behind Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
There was a theme among the unnamed general manager, defensive coordinator, defensive coach, and former head coach cited in the blurb about Stafford in the article. That was that Stafford’s football IQ is on par with his arm strength.
And Stafford has always had one of the strongest arms in the league.
“Elite physical talent plus experience plus fast processing plus top-flight scheme has equaled Tier 1 status and MVP honors for Stafford,” The Athletic’s Mike Sando wrote on August 4. “After making his Tier 1 debut by a narrow margin last year, Stafford surged into the elite ranks on the strength of his MVP season.”
Stafford has sparked a buzz over his performance in training camp, including on Monday with a deep connection with wide receiver and 2025 receiving touchdown leader Davante Adams, despite tight coverage.
Sando also noted that “Stafford’s age (38) and durability were the only strikes against him among voters.”
It is a valid concern, considering his back issue last season.
But Stafford has said that he is healthy, enough so that he has already alluded to playing beyond 2026. Moreover, he continues to put on encouraging performances on the field, even during practice in training camp.
Rivals Rave About Matthew Stafford
GettyMatthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are coming off a historic season offensively.
Sando relayed multiple strong comments about Stafford, including one unnamed general manager who said the Rams’ QB “wins at the line of scrimmage” in addition to his arm and the offensive scheming of head coach Sean McVay.
“Everything they put on him at the line of scrimmage, he makes it come to life,” the GM said, per Sando. “Best in the league at that.”
An unnamed defensive coordinator said Stafford is “scary.”
That DC noted that Stafford is one of the few remaining QBs to instill a sense of awe into opposing defenses; that and he has McVay dialing up an offense that defenses have always struggled to defend.
Notably, Stafford drew Tier 3 votes in 2025, underscoring how impressive his season ultimately was, if his winning MVP did not already make that abundantly clear.
A former head coach said Stafford’s “arm talent is special, for sure.”
The coach also noted that Stafford is “very intelligent,” able to decipher and dissect opposing defenses like few others can, and how it is “not always the case” to have players whose talent matches their football IQ.
“He runs the show, and there are only a few quarterbacks left who can do that,” another defensive coach said, per Sando. “He can rip it from any arm angle. His look-off throws are a freak show. If you cut up all his throws where he looks somewhere and rips it to the other side, it’s nuts.”
Rams’ Matthew Stafford Gets Strong Words After Turning Heads: ‘Scary’