The stage was set for Matthew Stafford to deliver one of his patented game-winning drives with the Los Angeles Rams down 20-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. There were 6 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the game when the Rams took possession of the ball. Impressively, Stafford led Los Angeles’ offense on a 15-play drive that took nearly five minutes off of the clock, ending with a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. By pay count, it was the longest go-ahead drive in the second half of any Super Bowl.
With Stafford finally earning the elusive Super Bowl win, there has been chatter among fans and the media alike on whether or not he deserves to be enshrined in Canton. So with everyone — at least football fans — discussing it amongst themselves, is Stafford worthy of being a Hall of Famer at this point in his career?
It has become a controversial topic as Richard Sherman added his two cents to the discussion, concluding that Stafford isn’t a Hall of Famer in his eyes. On the other hand, we have a Hall of Fame quarterback in Steve Young unequivocally labeling Stafford a Hall of Famer.
When speaking about Hall of Fame quarterbacks, it tends to always lead down a rabbit hole. “Well, if so-and-so made it, then this guy needs to make it, too.” There are obvious names that got inducted with no pushback from fans and the media, but there are other instances where it’s controversial for a certain quarterback to be named to the Hall of Fame.
Before we dig deeper into Stafford’s case to join the elite class of quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, we need to look at the history of quarterbacks in Canton. There are 29 quarterbacks that have been inducted, with the latest being Peyton Manning in 2021.
Of the 29 quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, only four of them don’t have a first-team All-Pro nod. Those four quarterbacks are Roger Staubach, John Elway, Troy Aikman, and Warren Moon. If we’re using the Associated Press’ All-Pro selections, then only Staubach and Aikman are absent of either a first or second-team All-Pro selection.
Winning a Super Bowl was a step in the right direction for Stafford’s path to the Hall of Fame. Super Bowl victories have long been a way that the media judges a quarterback’s success by, whether it’s fair or not.
We’ve seen Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and Dan Fouts all get inducted into the Hall of Fame despite never winning a Super Bowl. However, those guys are considered outliers and helped alter the way we look at the game of football today.
While he didn’t win Super Bowl MVP, Stafford has gaudy passing numbers that put him on track to end his career in Canton.
In his first 13 seasons in the NFL, Stafford has 49,995 passing yards and 323 touchdown passes, which are both the 12th-most of all time. Considering he could have at least a few more years in the league, Stafford could easily end his career in the top 10 in each category.
Numbers aren’t an issue for Stafford as he’ll go down as one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history. Where Stafford has trouble making a case for the Hall of Fame right now is his accolades — or lack thereof.
While I don’t believe Pro Bowl selections hold much merit, Stafford has made just one Pro Bowl. And the veteran signal-caller has zero first- or second-team All-Pro nods, making it tough for him to be considered a Hall of Famer at this moment.
Throughout this entire season, Stafford made plenty of legacy-altering plays, including a skillful no-look pass to Kupp to extend the Rams’ game-winning drive in the Super Bowl. Are his numbers and achievements this season enough to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame if his career ended right now?
It’s a close call for me, but I’d lean toward the voters saying no to him being inducted at this moment. The good news is that his story is far from finished and he could very well have at least three or four more years of adding to his already-impressive resume.
Also, with Tom Brady retiring and Aaron Rodgers potentially requesting a trade from the Green Bay Packers, Stafford could have his odds to earn an All-Pro nod increased in the coming years —along with potentially at least one more Super Bowl win. So while I believe he’ll end his career sporting a gold jacket when it’s all said and done, it’s tough to consider Stafford a Hall of Famer right this second.