The age-old question: does winning a Super Bowl guarantee Hall of Fame honors for a quarterback? Since the start of the SB era, only 12 quarterbacks that have hoisted the Lombardi have been enshrined. That’s not to say there won’t be more: already, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and potentially Eli Manning are sure-fire picks. New generation quarterback and former Whitehouse standout Patrick Mahomes is on his way there as well.
This line of thought brings up a tricky quandary: is Matthew Stafford a Hall Of Famer, after having one of the all-time great playoff runs last season?
Player Profile
Let’s take it back to his days here in the Lone Star State. In Dallas, Stafford was a graduate at Highland Park High School. In 2005, the Scots (an all time GOAT logo) went undefeated at 15-0, nabbing the 4A Division 1 State Championship. Stafford went on to win the 2005 EA Sports National Player of the Year and was ranked #1 as the best pro-style QB in the nation.
Stafford graduated from high school early, attending Georgia, where he had accumulated college stats of 7,731 yards passing and 51 touchdowns.
In the 2008 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Detroit Lions and was named an immediate starter manning the snaps, the first Lion to do so since 1968.
Negatives Against Stafford As A Hall Of Famer
We can’t ignore Stafford’s career with Detroit before becoming a star with LA. Sure, he led the Lions to the playoffs thrice, getting clobbered in the first round each time. He also led the league last season with 17 interceptions. His 12 years under three different coaches in Detroit only resulted in four winning seasons, where Stafford totaled a 74-90-1 record. It’s the last two that really sticks out. His star began fading at the end of his Michigan tenure, producing an unimpressive 8-15-1 in his final two years in the blue and silver.
Pros For Stafford As A Hall Of Fame
When they needed him the most, Stafford had three game-winning scoring drives in the same amount of games in the playoffs, where the team was either tied or losing in the fourth quarter. Combined with Cooper Kupp, the duo share the highest passer ratings among QB-WRs in a single postseason with 143.8; second most is Stafford and the currently team-less Odell Beckham Jr. at 138.5. Stafford joins an impressive and exclusive list of quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl in their first year with a new team, filing into the ranks beside Tom Brady (impressive) and Trent Dilfer (not so impressive).
His current body of work has compiled impressive individual statistics, including 49,995 career passing yards — the 12th all-time. He recently surpassed Hall of Famer Warren Moon and lurks just behind John Elway.
Where Stafford Can Improve His Chance
Stafford has never been considered a top-five quarterback of his generation — potentially, not even a top 10. He has never been named an All-Pro and has been elected to the Pro Bowl once — equalling the total of young bucks Justin Herbert and Mac Jones. Only once has he ever led the league in any major passing categories: last season with the Rams. Stafford needs several more years of high-level play in LaLa Land to be in contention. Another trip to the SB couldn’t hurt. If Stafford concludes his career top 10 in passing TDs and passing yards, it’s a clear step in the right direction.
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