The Los Angeles Rams have the MVP on their roster, but there is a continued narrative going around stating that Matthew Stafford wasn't the best quarterback in the league last season. It's a notion that was reinforced by the fact that Stafford was ranked as the fourth-best player in the NFL on the Top 100 Players list, which means Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen will finish above him.
Despite the fact that Stafford finished the season as the NFL's leader in passing yards and touchdowns, there are two ideas that exist preventing the Rams' quarterback from being at the top of the list. One is the weapons surrounding him. Another is something that not many are willing to talk about. Unlike his fellow contemporaries, Stafford, in the current environment,
gets discredited because he's not a dual-threat quarterback.
What else could it be? How could Allen be ranked over a passer who exceeded his output? The argument that Stafford is in a better system doesn't work, as Allen is also in an efficient offense with Buffalo promoting their offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coaching position. The system is also custom-designed for Allen as well, negating any counter-argument about scheme.
One could say Stafford has better teammates, except the Bills have James Cook, who led the NFL in rushing yards, allowing Allen to utilize his talents to the max. Cook is as important to Allen as Puka Nacua is to Stafford. One could talk about Davante Adams, but Allen's ability as a runner makes up for it. At least it should if he's supposed to be the best quarterback in the league.
Let's think back to the 2025 MVP race. Despite there being zero logical reason for the vote to be as close as it was, Stafford edged out New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye by one single vote. The Super Bowl proved that had the vote gone the other way, it would have been one of the most outrageous decisions in recent football history. What did Maye do better?
One single thing: rushing ability.
Stafford was discredited for the Rams being pass-heavy in the red zone, with the team choosing to pass inside the 5-yard line at an incredibly high rate. Some say that's stat-padding. Those who do make that argument have never attempted to throw against an NFL defense, especially within the limited space of the end zone. It's a point that simply makes no sense, especially as the Rams entered the 2025 season with a terrible red zone offense from the season before.
So, why isn't Stafford ranked as the top quarterback in the NFL when he clearly has been? He can't run fast. That's literally it.
The narrative about Stafford will always be skewed until someone addresses the perceived bias against pocket passers.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: There can only be 1 reason Matthew Stafford wasn't voted NFL's top QB
