Matthew Stafford has accumulated a wealth of football knowledge during his 15 years in the NFL thus far, seeing just about every possible coverage and defensive scheme possible. Entering Year 16, he’s not only one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the league, but also one of the brightest.
FOX Sports’ Greg Auman polled 38 NFL quarterbacks to find out who they think is the smartest at the position right now. Aaron Rodgers led the way with 15 votes, but Stafford wasn’t far behind with 12 votes.
That just goes to show how highly Stafford is thought of by his fellow quarterbacks, and the few comments provided by his peers were glowing.
A close second with 12 votes was the Los Angeles Rams‘ Matthew Stafford, now 36 and entering his 16th season. Stafford’s smarts are renowned enough that one young QB still remembers his Wonderlic score from 2009. He recalled Stafford scoring a 39, though in truth it was only a 38 — which is still outstanding for any non-Ryan Fitzpatrick passer.
“How he moves people around the field, and his knowledge of everything going on at one time,” one QB said of Stafford.
“The way he can adjust on the fly, just watching him play live, he has a great feel for all the intricacies of the position,” said another.
At 36 years old, Stafford still has the physical tools to be a top quarterback, but he also needs to bring football intelligence to the table like Rodgers and Kirk Cousins – the other top-two vote-getters – do.
Part of the reason Sean McVay traded Jared Goff for Stafford in 2021 is the experience Matthew brought to the Rams. He’s an extension of the coaching staff when it comes to diagnosing defenses and reading coverages, which only makes McVay’s job easier.