QB Rankings: Where's Rams' Matthew Stafford?
Despite a disappointing season last year, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford remains among the league's best signal-callers.
On Monday, The Athletic unveiled its annual quarterback tiers based on a survey of 50 league insiders who classified 30 veteran quarterbacks into four tiers. Stafford found himself in the second tier while retaining recognition as the 10th-best quarterback in the NFL. An NFL personnel director emphasized that if Stafford manages to stay healthy, he remains one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
"If he doesn't get hurt, he is still a top-level quarterback. I think he can still sling it around. The offense was not predicated on the run first even when they won the Super Bowl, so I think any time he is healthy and back there able to deal it, you can win because of him," The Athletic writes.
However, with Stafford entering his 15th NFL season, an offensive coach remains cautious about whether Stafford is still the same disciplined player he once was.
"Does he really give a s— enough at this stage of his career to be disciplined, or is he just going to wing it when it gets a little tight, and just force balls because he can? Remember Philip Rivers at the end in (Los Angeles) when he threw 21 interceptions and just said f— it? That's what I'm worried about," The Athletic writes.
If Stafford can avoid following in Rivers' footsteps and remain healthy for the entire season, he has the potential to move up to the first tier in The Athletic's rankings next season.
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