Matthew Stafford is a highly respected player and one of the top quarterbacks of the last 15 years, but his team success, particularly when he was with the Detroit Lions, led many to question just how good he was. Fortunately for him, he won his first Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and has solidified his legacy. But according to Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, Stafford is even better than advertised and better than one of Stafford's longtime NFC North rivals: Aaron Rodgers.
Stafford and Rodgers played in the same division for over a decade, and in that time, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers came out in head-to-head matchups and in the NFC North standings almost every time. But Stroud believes if the roles were reversed and Stafford was leading the Packers, he would have three or four Super Bowl titles by now.
“Stafford, if he get another [Super Bowl], he might be up there with Brady and them,” Stroud said before quickly backtracking but continuing his praise for Stafford. “I'm a student of the game. Stafford a dawg, bro. … That's all I watch, I don't watch nobody else. I watch Mahomes, at times, because Mahomes does some stuff that you can't coach. Stafford, dawg, he will beat you with the same thing every time. All that no-look stuff, I got that from bruh (Stafford). I'm a fan of his. When I go to L.A., I be trying to find bro. We got the same trainers, I be trying to go where they working out and just watch. He's elite, dawg.
“If you give Matthew Stafford a chance like Aaron Rodgers, I guarantee he might've had more rings, for sure.”
CJ Stroud, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford: By the numbers
In terms of stats with each other, there is not much comparison between Stafford and Rodgers. The former Packers and current New York Jets QB far surpasses Stafford statistically (even accounting for games played, Rodgers leads nearly every statistical category), although a solid argument could be made that Stafford's stats, particularly related to efficiency, suffered a great deal due to his long tenure with the mediocre Lions.
After all, Stafford joined the Lions in 2009 on the heels of Detroit going 0-16 in the 2008 season. Stafford struggled in his rookie season; in 10 games, Stafford completed 53.3% of his passes and threw for 2,267 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. And while he admires the veteran QB, CJ Stroud's rookie campaign was unlike Stafford's in multiple ways.
Stroud stepped in immediately and took over the Houston Texans' offense, proving that he was capable of playing in the NFL right away. Stroud put up incredibly impressive numbers as a rookie, completing 63.9% of his passes and throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
Stroud's rookie stats even surpassed Rodgers' numbers in some ways when Rodgers finally broke out of Brett Favre's shadow and became a starter in his fourth year. Despite Rodgers having time to learn and adjust to the NFL on the sidelines, Rodgers and Stroud's largely resembled each other, although Stroud proved to be even more efficient than the notoriously efficient Rodgers.
After a Rookie of the Year Award-winning season, there are now even higher expectations for Stroud as he enters his second season.
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