From gold on his finger to a gold jacket, the debate surrounding Matthew Stafford is heating up.
Stafford helped guide the Rams to a Super Bowl win over the Bengals, Los Angeles’ first title since 2000 and the first of Stafford’s career. Now that Stafford has secured the long-elusive ring, the next point of debate in his career is his Hall of Fame candidacy. Enter Richard Sherman.
While debate shows argued Stafford’s resume Monday, Sherman had a much more definitive take: No, Matthew Stafford is absolutely not a Hall of Famer.
‘THE SPORTING NEWS 7’ PODCAST: Tinseltown belongs to the Rams, DeMar DeRozan dominates
I’m gonna talk about it on the podcast but the HOF bar is incredibly low now. Like a participation trophy. No all decade team. No All pro. No MVP. 1 Pro bowl. Not even MVP of the SB. Never considered the best in any year he played. At least M. Ryan has an MVP https://t.co/TDQn8sJZfO
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 14, 2022
“I’m gonna talk about it on the podcast but the HOF bar is incredibly low now. Like a participation trophy. No all decade team. No All pro. No MVP. 1 Pro bowl. Not even MVP of the SB. Never considered the best in any year he played. At least M. Ryan has an MVP,” Sherman tweeted on Valentine’s Day.
Clearly, the DB has no love for Stafford, listing off his lack of accomplishments to prove his point. Fitting that in 280 characters is impressive, too.
A few more numbers: Through 13 seasons, Stafford has thrown for 49,995 yards, with 323 touchdowns to 161 interceptions. He tied his career high with 41 passing touchdowns in 2021, his first season with Sean McVay in Los Angeles.
IYER: Is Matthew Stafford a Hall of Famer?
Really, it seems bizarre and a bit premature to debate the Hall of Fame candidacy of a player of Stafford’s caliber well before the end of his career. While his case isn’t the strongest at the moment, assuming he stays healthy and in the Rams’ high-powered offense over the next four or five seasons, his resume for a Canton entry will just get stronger.
So, is Stafford a Hall of Famer? Probably not? But maybe?
