Matthew Stafford is reaching rarefied air in his 17th NFL season, and he could ascend even higher depending on how far the Los Angeles Rams go in the playoffs this year.
Stafford led the Rams in a wild-card comeback win over the Carolina Panthers, moved to No. 1 in several franchise postseason records and continues to build a solid resume for the Hall of Fame when he eventually retires. He already has one Super Bowl ring. Another would put him in another tier of quarterback
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Former NFL quarterback and first-round pick Matt Leinart thinks that a second Lombardi Trophy means Stafford shouldn’t just be considered one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, but of all time. The ex-Arizona Cardinals quarterback posted on X that “it’s time to start putting him in that Top 5 QBs of All Time conversation” if he wins another Super Bowl.
Stafford already ranks in the top 10 in several all-time career categories, like passing yards and passing touchdowns, so he’s at least in that range of quarterbacks. However, a second Lombardi Trophy would mean he’d be one of 13 other quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl rings.
That’s good company to keep. And, combined with his regular season accolades, makes a good case for one of the top-5 best quarterbacks ever. But that’s a conversation for another time.
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Currently, Stafford and the Rams need to focus on reaching the Super Bowl first. And that means facing the Chicago Bears on the road in the divisional round.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Ex-NFL QB says 2nd Super Bowl puts Matthew Stafford in Top-5 convo