For the last few years, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has polled NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top players at each position. Many players for the Los Angeles Rams didn't make their respective lists, including Kyren Williams, but Matthew Stafford finally got the recognition he deserves.
Executives ranked Stafford fifth out of all NFL quarterbacks, just behind Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.
"The arm strength hasn't left him -- he can still make every throw to every part of the field," an NFC executive said. "He attacks the intermediate windows and the middle of the field with accuracy. Cooper Kupp missed [five games] and he kept them afloat."
Stafford is the engine that makes the Rams' offense work. He has kept the Rams in every game since he joined, and it has been his play that saw them win a Super Bowl in his first year and carried them to a playoff appearance this year. We all saw what the team has looked like when he isn't on the field and it's not inspiring.
An executive touched on that and mentioned Stafford's ability to elevate the play of his teammates.
""He elevates the play of those around him," a high-ranking official with an NFL team said. "Puka Nacua is a good player -- but he's not the same guy without Stafford. He helps those guys reach their potential."
Stafford's highest ranking was third (!) in the NFL and his lowest was 10th, so it's a pretty unanimous opinion that Stafford is, at worst, a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. Stafford's accolades with the Rams keep piling up, and he's quickly making a case to be the Rams' best quarterback since Kurt Warner.
He's already top-10 in Rams history in passing yards and touchdowns. If Stafford duplicates his 2023 totals, he'll move just outside the top-5 in Rams history in yards and will be just three behind Warner's career tally in the horns.
It is about time Stafford received this kind of recognition among executives. He's quickly becoming one of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch, and his arm paired with Sean McVay's acumen has led to offensive fireworks every season he's been healthy.
