opinion: The slim case for matthew stafford as a hall of famer
After spending 12 years as a Detroit Lion, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff. This trade package seemed like a lot at the time, but now is recognized as a success because of the Rams’ Super Bowl win.
Stafford elevated the Rams in the 2021 NFL season, throwing for 4,886 yards, with 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Now that he is finally a Super Bowl champion, many analysts are starting to ask: Is Stafford a Hall of Famer?
As a huge Stafford fan, it pains me to say, but the answer is No. He still has time, but it will be a very difficult path to Canton for the former Detroit Lion.
Stafford has been recognized as an underrated player by many NFL fans and players throughout his career. Aaron Rodgers has thrown praise towards Stafford, as the two have been divisional rivals for more than a decade.
“I must say this,” Rodgers said in a Nov. 24 interview with Pat McAfee. “You know, a guy who probably doesn't get anywhere near the credit for doing s--t like that all the time, he wears number nine and plays in Detroit. That dude, what he does with the ball, it's impressive.”
Unfortunately, his talent was wasted by endless detriment with the Lions. I knew Stafford would shine once he left the team, but he spent too much of his career rotting away in Detroit.
He still holds many NFL records despite the organization’s incompetency, which may be an accomplishment itself.
NFL records:
Most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie (5 vs. Browns, 11/22/09)
Most consecutive 350+ yard passing games (4)
First player to complete more than 60 percent of passes in all games in a season (2015)
Most passing attempts in a season (727 in 2012)
Most games without at least one touchdown pass (16 in 2011)
Youngest quarterback to throw for at least five touchdowns in a game (21 years old, 2009 vs. Browns)
Fastest player to reach 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 thousand passing yards
49,995 career passing yards (12th all time)
323 touchdown passes (12th all time)
However, while his career statistics are very impressive, his accolades aren’t really anything to write home about. He has one Pro Bowl selection and has never had an All-Pro selection in his career.
There can be an argument that he should have gone to more Pro Bowls. However, the All-Pro team is the more significant accolade, of which he has had zero selections toward.
And that leads to me to my next point. One major criticism that Stafford has faced throughout his career is his compiled statistics with a lack of production and success. To be fair, it is natural that people questioned these numbers. You would think that someone with that many accolades would have some success within his NFL career, unless he was compiling meaningless stats.
There are still debates about whether this is the case, or if Detroit was truly the reason for Stafford’s demise. When he has 300 passing yards in a team loss, is his team letting him down, or are those 300 yards a mirage?
Overall, there’s just not much of an argument for Stafford as a Hall of Famer. I want to say “At least not yet,” but the door may be closed on his time for Canton. While he can end his career on a high note, it is hard to make an argument for Stafford as a consistent enough player to make the Hall of Fame.
