What Would This Super Bowl Win Mean for Matthew Stafford's Legacy?

Matthew Stafford is going to the Super Bowl. A few years ago, if this sentence was said, eyebrows everywhere would be raised trying to figure out what in the world happened. Stafford has long been a talented NFL quarterback, but was never able to find success in Detroit. A Super Bowl victory for Stafford would be monumental to his place in NFL history.

Matthew Stafford’s Detroit Lions career

In 2008, the Detroit Lions went winless. 0-16. Looking for their savior and the face of their franchise, Stafford was drafted first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia. Stafford joined future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson, forming a potent duo.

His first two years in Detroit were rocky, starting only 13 combined games due to injury. In those games, Stafford was 3-11, completed 54.5% of his passes, and threw 19 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He averaged 215.5 passing yards per game in his first two seasons.

Then 2011 happened. Stafford took a massive leap forward, leading the Lions to a 10-6 record while throwing for 5,038 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Between 2011-2012, Stafford connected with Johnson for a total of 3,645 yards and 21 touchdowns — in two years. Johnson’s 1,964 receiving yards in 2012, setting a single-season receiving yards record. 

Stafford took the Lions to the playoffs three times between 2011-2016, losing all three appearances with Detroit. He spent 12 years with the Lions, playing through horrible injuries at times, while being held down by coaching and rosters incapable of getting over the hump. Many blamed Stafford for the team’s struggles.

Stafford’s legacy gets a resurrection in Los Angeles

Prior to the 2021 NFL season, the Rams made a huge splash, trading Jared Goff and two first-round draft picks for Stafford. They believed in what Stafford could do, and that he would be enough to push the Rams over the top. 

All he did was match his career-high in completion percentage at 67.2%, match his career-high in touchdown passes at 41, lead the Rams to a 12-5 record in his first season with a new team, new system, new coach, and new skill players, beat Tom Brady at home in the divisional round (previously 21-4 at home in the playoffs), and has taken the Rams to the Super Bowl. 

With Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger announcing their retirements in the last month, Stafford is now third amongst active quarterbacks in passing yards behind only Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has played 213 games. Ryan has played 22. Stafford has played 182. While Rodgers is 38 and considering retirement and Ryan is 36 and appears to be seeing his career winding down, Stafford is 33 and looks to have plenty of time left in the league.

Stafford is 11,366 yards behind Dan Marino for seventh and 14,093 behind Roethlisberger for fifth all-time in passing yards. If Stafford plays another four seasons, with over 4,000 passing yards each (he had 4,886 this year) he’ll have a chance at the top-5 of the leaderboard depending on how the careers of Rodgers and Ryan finish.

The Rams have a roster that has a great chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. Adding a ring to his impressive statistics would give Stafford an intriguing case for the Hall of Fame. 

You can find all of Jon Helmkamp’s picks here.