The legacy of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn’t been written in stone yet — he’s still playing games. But in his 17th season and fifth with the Rams, there is a lot of talk of where Stafford ranks among the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks.
Two former Green Bay Packers coaches who battled with Stafford for years in the NFC North when he played for the Detroit Lions think Stafford is among the best to ever do it. Ex-Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as well as ex-Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers both compared Stafford to John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.
“I’ve personally seen enough ‘wow’ throws, particularly when he had Calvin Johnson and with his ability to go deep and give him a 50-50 ball,” McCarthy told Bob McGinn of Go Long. “He’s definitely scratching the surface of that group. Without a doubt. Him and Aaron Rodgers on the field together, I don’t know if you can get more arm talent in the building. Those guys had some great battles.”
“Those guys are rare. I’ve coached against every one of those guys,” Capers said about Stafford in relation to Elway, Marino, Favre and Rodgers. “Those guys make some unbelievable throws to win games. Stafford falls into that category. He really had the whole package in terms of arm strength, arm talent, accuracy.”
This is high praise for Stafford, but warranted given his resume. He became the 10th player in NFL history to throw for more than 60,000 career passing yards and his 380 career passing touchdowns are just one behind Matt Ryan for 10th place on the NFL all-time list.
Stafford has a Super Bowl, too, after he joined the Rams in 2021. That counts for lot when legacy is on the line, especially when you’re compared to quarterbacks who have at least one as well. The only member of the aforementioned quartet without a Lombardi Trophy is Marino, and he’s still considered one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.
Talk of Stafford’s enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame will continue to rise as he continues to move up the leaderboards, but he won’t be eligible until five years after he officially retires from the league. It seems like he has a lot of support among NFL elites to make it to Canton, though.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Ex-Packers coaches compare Matthew Stafford to legendary QBs
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
