Did Matthew Stafford cement Hall of Fame bid with Super Bowl ring?

A Super Bowl 56 championship has Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on the cusp of eventual Canton enshrinement.

No player improved his NFL legacy more in Super Bowl 56 than Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The longtime Detroit Lions signal-caller flourished in his first season in Los Angeles. He went 12-5 as their starter in the regular season and a stellar 4-0 in the NFL playoffs. The talent, leadership and likability has always been there for the former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia. It was a question if he would ever get to play for a winning organization. Now, he has checked that box.

While Michael Robinson said emphatically on Good Morning Football Monday morning that Stafford is a no-doubt gold jacket guy, has Stafford done enough to guarantee himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Matthew Stafford: Has Los Angeles Rams QB done enough to make Hall of Fame?

The best part in all of this is we actually get to have this debate. No doubt about it, this Super Bowl 56 victory skyrockets Stafford’s chances of having a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio. Through 13 NFL seasons, he is one throw away from 50,000 yards and is well over 300 career passing touchdowns. He also has a 2014 Pro Bowl nod and was the 2011 AP Comeback Player of the Year.

However, he has never been an All-Pro, only has that one Pro Bowl and has a sub-.500 record as an NFL signal-caller at a disappointing 86-95-1. While the whole “but Detroit” argument will be used in his favor, other contemporary quarterbacks are getting in before him. Eli Manning is a lock now. Philip Rivers is getting in at some point, as is Stafford’s buddy Matt Ryan from Atlanta.

Manning, Rivers and Ryan all eclipse the Ken Anderson line. Ryan has more time to add to his legacy, but a fifth trip to the Pro Bowl or one last playoff run should make him a lock. For now, Stafford is to some degree his generation’s Jim Plunkett, a superstar prospect coming out of college who was rag dolled in a rough situation before finding success later in his NFL career.

Ultimately, Stafford is never going to have the Pro Bowl nods, the All-Pro selections or maybe even the NFL MVP like Ryan has. However, he has a Super Bowl and stands a great shot to get one or maybe even two more if he plays into his 40s and retires with the Rams in half a decade. If Stafford can have his health and play up to his standard for three or four more years, he gets in.

Championships shape a player’s legacy, and Stafford is without debate, a Super Bowl champion.