Is Matthew Stafford an Underrated Quarterback?

Matthew Stafford is in his late 30s and is still a top-ten quarterback in the league. That being said, does he get looked over more than he should? When talking about the brightest stars in the NFL, Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams often get overlooked and aren't given the respect they deserve.

It's hard to call any football meaningless, but all those years Stafford spent with the Detroit Lions ultimately didn't amount to much. He was the quarterback for Calvin Johnson and was a big reason why he had such historic seasons, but it's not as if the Lions can point to Stafford and say he was their reason for success.

It wasn't until Stafford got dealt to Los Angeles that he was able to have success in the postseason and even won a Super Bowl immediately after being traded. He was even able to make history again and give another receiver another dominant season in Cooper Kupp when he got the Triple Crown in receiving yards and Super Bowl MVP.

Stafford still is one of the best gunslingers in the NFL, and when he's on fire, he can hang with the best of them. Jared Dublin is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he included Stafford in his list of the most underrated players at each position heading into the 2025 NFL season.

"It's easy to forget what Stafford can do when he's afforded even remotely good protection in the pocket and capable wide receivers. His numbers from last season don't look amazing, but if you isolate the games where the Rams actually had Puka Nacua on the field, Stafford checked in with an EPA per dropback figure that would have tied Jayden Daniels for eighth-best in the league over the course of the full season. Even in his late 30s, Stafford can still sling it with the best of them".

A lot is riding on Stafford's shoulders in 2025, and he has the potential to be responsible for another great wide receiver season, as he now has two offensive engines lined up on opposite sides of the field, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

In 2024, the Rams suffered from injuries early, which derailed their season, and they were still able to make it to the divisional round of the playoffs. In 2025, they're looking to win another Super Bowl, and that won't be possible if Stafford doesn't keep up his incredible play on the field.