Matthew Stafford has been in the NFL for fifteen seasons after being drafted first overall in 2009 by the Detroit Lions. He spent the majority of his career with the Lions, where he faced constant criticism for never being able to lead the team towards anything meaningful.
Then, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams and immediately won a Super Bowl, shutting down any notion of him not being able to lead a team into the postseason. Now that the Rams have restructured their contract with Stafford, he is closer to retirement than ever before.
More likely than not, after his restructured contract is over, he will retire. Stafford has played a lot of football, and yet the one thing that has eluded him thus far in his career is an MVP trophy. Despite consistently putting up great numbers and being responsible for some of the best wide receiver seasons in the sport, he’s never even really come close.
Is it reasonable to expect that will change next season? Stafford is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he’s not exactly in his prime anymore. So, how could Stafford win his first MVP award at age 37?
I think the Rams have loaded up on enough talent to where I think he has a shot. I think the Rams could be one of the best teams in the NFC next season, and usually, MVPs are in one of the top seeds.
The combination of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams is going to make for a lethal passing attack, and Sean McVay’s offensive playcalling is sure to make life easier for him, he’ll be able to dice up defenses as easy as it’s ever been for him.
This is without even considering them drafting an offensive weapon with their upcoming draft pick, which could add an entirely new dynamic to this offense for Stafford to exploit. It could be an explosive wide receiver or a tight end to complete their offense.
Finally, the narrative surrounding the MVP award. If Stafford is able to stay healthy and throw for more than 5,000 yards on one of the top seeds in the NFC, I don’t see how he doesn’t at least get a few nods, if not his first MVP award outright.
