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About a year ago, I asked Pride of Detroit readers where they thought Matthew Stafford ranked among current NFL quarterbacks. Almost everyone agreed that Stafford belonged among the top 10, but that’s where the conversation broke off. Some believed he was at the lower end, around eight or nine. Others believed he deserved to be in the conversation among the top five, or even in the top three—as former NFL quarterback Chris Simms suggested.
Now, a year later, it’s time to revisit this conversation. Stafford is coming off of one of his best statistical seasons. He finished in the top six of nearly every important statistical category, including passer rating, yards per attempt, completion percentage and touchdowns.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Where does Matthew Stafford currently rank among NFL quarterbacks?
My answer:
Here’s my list
1. Tom Brady
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Russell Wilson
4. Drew Brees
t-5. Matthew Stafford
t-5. Matt Ryan
I have Stafford just inside the top five, tied with his real-life friend Matt Ryan. At this point, it’s hard to put anyone other than Brady and Rodgers at the top, and this is the first time I’ve ever actually had Brady over Rodgers. Russell Wilson jumped a ton in 2017 after proving he can carry a team, much like Stafford, without an offensive line, without a running game and with a mediocre defense. His passing stats are inferior to Stafford’s, but the rushing element of his game is enough to push him over the top.
That leaves Stafford at fifth, ahead of the likes of Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, etc. I think that’s more than fair as Stafford has done more than all of those quarterbacks with less.
Your turn.
Poll
Where does Matthew Stafford rank among NFL QBs right now
This poll is closed
-
3%
1st
(53 votes) -
2%
2nd
(37 votes) -
16%
3rd
(251 votes) -
29%
4th
(449 votes) -
24%
5th
(380 votes) -
10%
6th
(158 votes) -
6%
7th
(99 votes) -
2%
8th
(45 votes) -
0%
9th
(8 votes) -
1%
10th
(19 votes) -
2%
Outside the top 10
(37 votes)