Matthew Stafford has spent much of his career without receiving full recognition for his accomplishments.
The first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft played 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, reaching the playoffs only three times without a single victory.
After being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, he led the franchise to a Super Bowl championship during the 2021 postseason.
Despite that success, his public and media recognition has remained relatively modest compared to that of other elite quarterbacks.
Colin Cowherd recently suggested that Stafford could achieve historic status this season with another championship run.
“There’s just not many quarterbacks in the history of the league that have two Super Bowls and an MVP. It’s (Patrick) Mahomes, (Tom) Brady, (Peyton) Manning, (John) Elway, (Joe) Montana, (Terry) Bradshaw, and Bart Starr. So, there’s only one quarterback in this league that can go from really, really great to historic. This is it. It’s all the legends. Stafford can get into that group,” Cowherd said.
"There's only one quarterback in this league that can go from really really great to historic."@colincowherd thinks Rams QB Matthew Stafford can make history this season pic.twitter.com/zTBqU8mRut
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 6, 2025
Cowherd described Stafford as the league’s most impressive quarterback outside of Sam Darnold this season.
He argued that landing spot often determines how careers are remembered, suggesting Stafford might have been viewed differently had he started in Green Bay while Aaron Rodgers went to Detroit.
According to Cowherd, Stafford was the superior player in high school, college, and early in their professional careers, but Rodgers benefited from stability with the Packers.
The analyst noted that quarterbacks typically reach their peak understanding of the game in their mid-30s.
Tom Brady demonstrated this with experience and preparation, but Stafford endured 12 physically demanding years in Detroit without elite protection.
At 37, he carries the wear of every hit absorbed during that stretch.
Stafford already ranks in the top-10 all-time in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns while sitting fifth in game-winning drives.
A second Super Bowl victory could fundamentally reshape how his career is evaluated when compared to the game’s greatest players.
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