The Los Angeles Rams have Super Bowl aspirations this season. They’re the favorites to win it all after coming up just short of the big game in each of the last two years, and a big reason for that is Matthew Stafford. He’s the reigning MVP and one of the best quarterbacks in football, despite being near the end of his career.
Even entering his 18th NFL season, he’s regarded as a premier player capable of carrying the Rams to their ultimate goal of winning another title. There’s no question he’s the team’s most important player because if he were to go down, Los Angeles would probably become a third-place team in the NFC West.
Once again, he ranks No. 1 on our list of the Rams’ most important players for the upcoming season.
How he got here
The Rams traded for
Stafford back in 2021, sending Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Lions. It will go down as arguably the best trade ever made by the Rams, immediately winning a Super Bowl in Stafford’s first season.
Since then, he’s signed multiple extensions with the Rams, most recently this offseason to keep him under contract through 2027.
2025 stats
17 games (17 starts): 388-for-597 (65%), 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 109.2 passer rating
Projected role
Is there any question about this? He’s the starting quarterback, and will be until he decides he doesn’t want to play anymore. So long as he’s healthy, Stafford will be the leader of the Rams offense, potentially for multiple more seasons.
One thing to know
Stafford was outstanding throwing to all levels of the field last season, but his accuracy on deep balls was unmatched. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a league-best 99.9 passing grade on deep passes, also completing an NFL-high 47 big-time throws.
Why he's important
There’s no chance the Rams would be Super Bowl favorites without Stafford as their quarterback. And think of it this way: How many games would they win if Stafford were to miss time? Not nearly as many as they would with him under center.
He’s the most irreplaceable player on the Rams, both because of the position he plays and because of how talented he is. The Rams are playing it safe with him in camp for a reason. They know they need him healthy and fresh for the regular season.
Without Stafford, the Rams are probably a wild-card team at best, and that’s with a loaded roster.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' 26 most important players for 2026 – No. 1: QB Matthew Stafford
