Matthew Stafford was a well-respected quarterback when he was with the Detroit Lions. He was never viewed as one of the four or five best players at his position, but most viewed him as an above-average quarterback.
He took a big step forward in 2021 when he led the Rams to the Super Bowl and defeated the Bengals to win his first championship. He’s since garnered some serious praise from his peers, more so than ever before.
After making the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2022 list at No. 27, several players from around the league shared what makes Stafford so good. Check out the full video here.
Cooper Kupp: “You talk about being reactive as a quarterback, you take what the defense gives you. They say it all the time. I think a lot of times, he says, ‘Screw that, I’m gonna take what I want.’ What he does with his eyes and manipulating defenses, ‘I’m gonna move this guy and throw where I want,’ that I think is a special trait of his.”
Tyrann Mathieu: “Man, Stafford is so underrated from just a pure talent perspective. All the side-arm throws and the no-look passes, he’s been doing those things.”
Chester Rogers: “I think he’s been a top-five quarterback since he’s been in the league, he’s just been in Detroit. Now he’s in L.A., he’s shining.”
Lavonte David: “It was kind of like night-and-day from what they had before to what they’ve got now with him. 30-something seconds left, for him to keep his poise and not settle to go to overtime, that’s why you’ve got a guy like him. He got them to the Super Bowl, he made plays when they needed him to make plays.”
Chandler Jones: “His quarterback vision is tremendous. He has a timer in his head that is tremendous.”
There’s no question Stafford is a quarterback that strikes fear in opposing defenses, given the way he manipulates defenders with his eyes and vision.
