Stafford’s legacy could be determined by what he does with Rams...

Matthew Stafford's legacy could be determined by what he does with the Rams

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva

When fans hear the name Matthew Stafford, what comes to their minds first? For some, it’s an average quarterback who’s failed to win big games. For others, Stafford is seen as a tough player who didn’t have enough help in Detroit, leading to a lack of team success.

No matter how Stafford is viewed through the lens of the public, he has a chance to shift the narrative of his career with the Rams.

There are no more excuses to be made about his supporting cast being underwhelming and below-average. Few quarterbacks have the weapons that Stafford will with Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Cam Akers, Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee.

Coaching can’t be blamed for holding Stafford back, either, with an offensive mastermind at the helm in L.A. No disrespect to Jim Caldwell, but Sean McVay will be the best coach Stafford has ever had.

Defensively, the Rams were No. 1 in the NFL last season, and though they will suffer some losses in free agency (John Johnson), the core of the unit will be back in 2021: Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, Darious Williams. There’s no reason to believe the Rams won’t rank in the top 10 on defense again in 2021.

With everything set up almost perfectly in Los Angeles, Stafford might just be the determining factor in whether the Rams come up short again or win a Super Bowl. And for that reason, his legacy will be decided by what he does with his new team.

Stafford is under contract for two years with the Rams, as of now. An extension is possible, but at the moment, he has two years to prove himself in L.A. If the Rams fail to make the playoffs next season with Stafford at quarterback, both the team and the quarterback will come under harsh criticism. Fans and analysts will question whether Stafford truly is a quarterback who can’t elevate the supporting cast around him – that he’s the reason Detroit failed to make a deep playoff run in 12 seasons with him under center.


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The Rams will be deemed losers of their blockbuster trade with the Lions, giving up three draft picks and Jared Goff to land Stafford. That’s no small price to pay for a 33-year-old quarterback, and if there isn’t immediate success in Year 1, there will be no lack of critics coming out of the woodwork.

But on the flipside, Stafford could come in and absolutely light it up. With an excellent cast of receivers, a good offensive line and McVay calling the plays, Stafford should thrive in the Rams’ system.

If he throws for 4,500 yards, tosses 35 touchdown passes and turns the ball over less than 15 times – all while leading the Rams to the playoffs – no one will bat an eye at the cost to acquire Stafford. In fact, there will be plenty of people shouting from the rooftops that this is the quarterback Stafford always could’ve been if the Lions had a quality team around him.

We must point out that Stafford had Calvin Johnson, Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay at points in his career, but in 166 career starts, the Lions had a 100-yard rusher only 11 times. Not to mention, in 12 seasons, Detroit’s defense only ranked inside the top half of the NFL in scoring three times. Twice the Lions were ranked dead last in points and yards allowed while Stafford was under center.

To say he had absolutely no help in 12 years would be inaccurate. But it would also be wrong to say the Lions built a strong team around Stafford consistently.

In Los Angeles, there are no more excuses. Stafford will either prove he wasn’t the problem with the Lions, or he’s going to continue coming up short of the playoffs and be viewed as a quarterback with big numbers but little overall success.

This is Stafford’s golden opportunity to cement his legacy in the NFL, because it’s not too late for him to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks of this generation.