Why Rams Matthew Stafford Stands Alone In Quarterback Rankings

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback is hitting his peak, despite having over a decade of premier production

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes against Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (0) during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have a quarterback who stands alone amongst his peers.

Stafford Remains Alone At The Top

NFL.com's Nick Shook ranked Stafford as a Tier One quarterback, listing his as the number one passer in the NFL for his performance during the regular season and in the playoffs.

"Matthew Stafford won NFL MVP because he was, in fact, the best quarterback in the NFL," stated Shook. "His playoff performances proved it: He engineered a comeback win on the road in Charlotte, N.C., to advance beyond Wild Card Weekend, piloted the Rams through choppy, frigid waters in a Divisional Round overtime victory in Chicago and nearly singlehandedly threw the Rams to the Super Bowl in a narrow NFC Championship Game loss in Seattle."

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

"Stafford produced his best season of his career in 2025, showing off an elite blend of arm strength, accuracy and decision-making ability that made the Rams one of the favorites to win it all. Best of all: He'll be back in 2026."

The Secret to the Sauce

Earlier this month, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke about why he believes Stafford should win MVP, giving insight into the daily actions that drive the Rams' championship success.

“What you don't see is that he's in that office right next to me in that quarterback room at 5:45 every single morning starting his prep, being able to impact and influence the questions, the intrinsic motivation, the ability to be able to give confidence to the other 10 guys because he truly is an extension of the coaching staff. You don't see, well sometimes you guys do see the prep that it takes to be able to even just get ready for practice whether that be a walkthrough or just a normal Wednesday or Thursday practice and the amount of overall management."

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

"What you don't see is just all the things that go on. All we see is the amazing things he does on those Sundays or Thursdays or Monday nights when we're playing. The amount of work and time that goes into it and then the consistency of who the human being is, how he's so humble through all the good times and how he's so strong and sturdy in the challenging moments and what that does to provide a confidence and a belief for everybody around him and how that uplifts and elevates people. He's the epitome of an igniter. He's just this incredibly humble superstar that has the ability to make everybody feel better when you're around him. That's just really who he is."

"He's so thoughtful, he's so considerate. I'm glad [Matthew’s Wife] Kelly [Stafford] showed the video where he is kissing his little girls goodnight. But that's who this guy is. He's got a heart for people. He is an incredible husband and father. He’s an incredible friend to me and he's an incredible quarterback, but he's so much more than just a great quarterback."

Feb 5, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Sean McVay and Veronika Khomyn on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"He's a rare human being. I feel really fortunate for the friendship and the relationship that we've developed and I'm sure hopeful that Thursday when we're there to support him, that gets recognized. Like I've said before, this is such a challenging game. I know I'm biased, but I can remove my bias and say I think he was the best player in the NFL this year. I think there are a lot of people that will agree. I'm hopeful Thursday will represent that as well.”

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