
John Elway and Matthew Stafford share many similarities. Among them, the two are MVP and Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. One day, Stafford will join Elway in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On the surface, the similarities between John Elway and Matthew Stafford end there. One starting signal-caller has to win the Super Bowl each year. And Quarterbacks always win the MVP Award these days.
But someone did a deep dive into the lives and careers of Elway and Stafford. And the number of similarities is so fascinating that it feels like we’re discussing the plot of a body-switching Hollywood blockbuster.
Digital creator Tyler Hansen shared the long list of eerie similarities in a Facebook reel. After realizing that a young Elway resembled Stafford from his Lions playing days, Hansen dove into more.
Elway wore No. 7 in his iconic career. Stafford wore No. 7 in high school and college. Elway’s alma mater? Stanford, which sounds awfully similar to “Stafford.” Hansen then wondered if they had the same middle names. Elway’s full name is John Albert Elway. Turns out, “Matthew” is Stafford’s middle name. His first name is actually “John.”
Hansen put their faces together and found a near-perfect symmetrical fit. You might find that part a stretch, so make of it as you will.
Last week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Stafford and the Rams are in talks on a new contract. Though Stafford has considered retirement in the past, Rapoport reported that the Rams believe there’s a good chance he plays beyond 2026.
Stafford won his first MVP Award in 2025 after completing 65.0 percent of pass attempts for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, with the latter two marks leading the NFL. He helped them to the NFC Championship Game, where they narrowly fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
It doesn’t seem like Stafford wants to play well into his 40s like Tom Brady. But at this phase, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
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