NFL Coach Says Rams QB Matthew Stafford's Look-Off Throws 'Are a Freak Show'

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford may be getting older, but he’s still playing some of the best football of his career. Stafford is coming off of an MVP season and NFL coaches as well as others around the league are taking notice.

The NFL offseason is often filled with rankinsg from different outlets, with some polling coaches and executives. One of the more anticipated rankings is Mike Sando’s QB Tiers featured on The Athletic.

Matthew Stafford Finally Receiving Tier 1 Recognition

Throughout his career, Stafford has consistently been underrated, mostly because he played for a losing franchise in the Detroit Lions for many years. From 2014 to 2024, Stafford had never been voted as a Tier 1 quarterback by coaches and executives. That included after a 2021 season in which he played a major role in winning a Super Bowl with the Rams.

However, last season, Stafford made his debut in Tier 1 as the fifth ranked quarterback in the NFL. This year, 48 of the 50 voters placed Stafford in Tier 1 with his average voter ranking being 1.04. That was up from 1.5 last offseason.

Coaches Still Fear Facing Stafford

“He’s scary,” a defensive coordinator said. “When I first got in the league, there were more guys you had to worry about. You knew if you played Peyton (Manning), you played (Brett) Favre, (Tom) Brady, (Drew) Brees, it was, ‘Oh my God!’ Stafford has still got that, and he’s operating in a difficult-to-defend offense.”

It shouldn't be surprising for Stafford to rank as highly as he did among those around the league. He ranked first in quarterback DVOA via FTN Fantasy and led all quarterback in overall PFF grade. Stafford also ranked first in big-time throw rate.

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks had the NFL's best defense. In three games against the Seahawks, Stafford averaged 320 yards passing and had eight touchdowns with no interceptions. Both wins in the playoffs came off of game-winning drive from Stafford, bring his career total to five and the fourth-most all time.

The last five years of Stafford’s career have given him a Hall of Fame-level career. While he had the numbers in Detroit, he never experienced the team success that leads to personal accolades. Stafford helped lead the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2021 and then won MVP last year at 37 years old.

Coaches Believe Stafford Still 'Runs the Show'

Some argued for Drake Maye for MVP, but Stafford’s strength of schedule and league-leading 46 touchdowns were the difference. Maye finished eighth in the quarterback tiers ranking, tied with Jared Goff.

“He runs the show, and there are only a few quarterbacks left who can do that,” another defensive coach said. “He can rip it from any arm angle. His look-off throws are a freak show. If you cut up all his throws where he looks somewhere and rips it to the other side, it’s nuts.”

Stafford was tied for the second-best quarterback in Sando’s tiers with Josh Allen. The only quarterback ranked higher than Stafford is Patrick Mahomes, who seems to be benefiting from reputation. His ranking in this poll was higher than the one done by ESPN earlier this offseason, where Stafford finished third.

No other quarterback in the NFC West ranked inside the top 10. Brock Purdy ranked highest among NFC West quarterbacks at No. 11, while Sam Darnold came in at No. 14.

Stafford Remains the Key to Rams' Super Bowl Hopes

If the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl in 2026, they’ll need Stafford to play at a Tier 1 level. While the Rams have a strong supporting cast, as seen in 2021, it was still Stafford that got them over the top. The additions of Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie will help the defense, but it will still be up to Stafford to win the close games. Sando did note that voters mentioned Stafford’s age and durability as knocks against him.

When the Rams traded for Stafford before the 2021 season, they believed he could lead a roster headlined by Aaron Donald to a Super Bowl. Had anyone asked them at the time, not many likely would have expected him to still be playing at an MVP level five years later.

"I thought maybe I had three good ones left."@RamsNFL QB Matthew Stafford tells @robertmays why being a member of the Los Angeles Rams has been a blessing for his career. pic.twitter.com/FEfIGLGXuR
— The Athletic Football Show (@TA_FootballShow) August 3, 2026

While Stafford may have been a Tier 1 quarterback throughout his career, he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves at the end of it. Stafford is one of the few quarterbacks who can truly change the math for opposing defenses, and it doesn't appear that he's slowing down anytime soon.

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