Why Stafford Was Best NFL Acquisition This Decade

The Los Angeles Rams consummated their 2021 trade for Matthew Stafford in Los Cabos, and they're grateful he's not playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Oct 7, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (right) celebrates with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) following a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Matthew Stafford has had two interesting winter encounters over the last four years. One included sun and Sean McVay. The other included snow and Tom Brady.

And as McVay and Les Snead prepare for the draft, they’re grateful Stafford is committed to the team currently playing in Los Angeles, not the team that formerly played in Los Angeles.

The Rams made by far the best quarterback move not only this offseason so far – signing Stafford to a new contract and pave the foundation for another swing at the Super Bowl -- but also the current decade, according to NFL.com’s Tom Blair. Acquiring Stafford before winning the Super Bowl in 2021 was the NFL’s best quarterback acquisition since 2020, the writer said Thursday.

“Even before we knew how the Lions' side would play out, to me, this swap qualified as a feel-good story, giving Matthew Stafford the chance to join a stable contender,” Blair wrote, analyzing the 2021 trade that sent Jared Goff to Detroit. “When the deal was made official, Stafford had just turned 33 and was coming off three straight lackluster seasons, like many who participated in the singularly uninspiring reign of Matt Patricia.

“The picture brightened considerably in Los Angeles, where Stafford thrived with Sean McVay and a talent-rich roster, winning the Super Bowl that seemed likely to remain out of reach for the Rams as long as Goff was under center. Scenery changes don't get much better than that … Perhaps Stafford and Co. made it look a little too easy to plug in an accomplished QB and roll right to glory.”

That’s because the scope of Blair’s study – the last five offseasons – has included disastrous deals such as the Broncos acquiring Russell Wilson from Seattle in 2022 and the Jets landing Aaron Rodgers from the Packers in 2023.

“One thing worth mulling when considering those failures, as well as the chances of any team that currently sees itself as ‘a quarterback away,’ is just how good the McVay-Les Snead Rams seem to be at both sticking to a plan and adapting their approach to get the most out of the resources and opportunities available to them,” Blair added.

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