Ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford Gets Good Career News After Retirement Decision
Heavy Sports Heavy on NFL Heavy on Lions Ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford Gets Good Career News After Retirement Decision
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Feb 17, 2026 at 5:45pm
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Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is returning to the NFL for another season, and will likely get a chance to strengthen his Hall of Fame resume that just got a ringing endorsement.
Stafford fell short of reaching his second career Super Bowl when the Los Angeles Rams lost in the NFC Championship game, but got a nice consolation prize when he earned his first career league MVP trophy. Stafford used the occasion to announce that he was returning to the Rams for another season, with the team expected to once again compete for a Super Bowl.
While the MVP award gave Stafford a major boost in his Hall of Fame credentials, a new ranking shows another strong sign for the veteran quarterback.
Matthew Stafford Ranks Among All-Time Greats
A new ranking of the top 99 quarterbacks in NFL history from Bleacher Report put Stafford at No. 20 overall, noting that he racked up some gaudy stats starting with his time as the No. 1 overall pick of the Lions.
“Matthew Stafford just keeps adding to what should eventually be a Hall of Fame career,” the report noted, adding that he has a “strong case for Canton” even if he hadn’t come back to play in 2026.
While Stafford struggled with the Lions before seeing a late-career resurgence with the Rams, the report added that he already had a strong Hall of Fame resume even before the 2021 blockbuster trade that shipped him to Los Angeles.
“While Stafford never found postseason success in Detroit, he had a prolific career as one of the best players in franchise history,” the report added. “The 45,109 passing yards he produced with the Lions alone would put him inside the top 20 all-time. The 282 passing touchdowns he had in Detroit are more than Joe Montana had in his entire career.”
Strong Outlook for Matthew Stafford
While the Rams failed to deliver on Super Bowl expectations this year, USA Today’s Jacob Camenker believes that Stafford is one of the “winners” of the 2025 NFL season. Camenker noted that the MVP trophy solidified the veteran quarterback’s place among the all-time greats, quieting any lingering doubts that he might not reach the Hall of Fame.
“That MVP award could go a long way when it eventually comes time to discuss Stafford’s Hall of Fame credentials,” Camenker wrote. “He now has both an MVP and a Super Bowl win which, when coupled with his top-10 career marks in passing yards and passing touchdowns, could go a long way toward earning him enshrinement in Canton.”
Stafford could add more accolades in 2026, where the Rams are seen as early Super Bowl contenders and will return a team with many of their main pieces.
The Lions, who also found success with the 2021 trade after quarterback Jared Goff established himself as a franchise quarterback, are surrounded by more doubts. The team fell short of the playoffs in 2025 and will now head into an offseason with some difficult decisions, as key players on both offense and defense are headed to free agency.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is among the top 20 signal-callers in NFL history, a new ranking shows.
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