- Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the frontrunner to win the NFL MVP award.
- Stafford led the NFL with a career-high 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 passing yards this season.
- The 37-year-old quarterback overcame an offseason back injury and potential trade talks.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Los Angeles Rams guard Steve Avila still finds it surreal that he’s teammates with Matthew Stafford.
“There are times like I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s Matthew Stafford.’ Like, I was 9 years old when he got drafted,” Avila told USA TODAY Sports. “It is awesome. I mean, especially just with the season that he’s had, and just being able to be a part of that is just amazing.”
Avila’s elementary school recollection of Stafford might make the 37-year-old feel old, but the quarterback’s performed this year like an aging fine red wine.
Stafford led the NFL and broke a franchise record with a career-high 46 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions. Those 46 touchdowns are the second-most thrown in a single season by an NFL quarterback age 37 or older. Additionally, he became the third player in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, according to NFL Research. His 4,707 passing yards also topped the league.
Stafford threw four touchdown passes in Week 18 alone and became third player in NFL history with multiple touchdown passes in 15 games in a season. He earned his fourth career player of the week honor for his performance in the team’s season finale.
‘He is the MVP’
The Rams quarterback’s statistics indicate he’s defying Father Time, and he might’ve just capped off the best regular season of his career.
Stafford is the frontrunner to win MVP, courtesy of BetMGM as of Jan. 4. For all his plaudits, the Super Bowl 56 champion and three-time Pro Bowler has never won the award.
Rams players believe the award should be added this year to Stafford’s already impressive resume.
“He is the MVP. There’s no ifs ands or buts about it,” Rams running back Blake Corum told USA TODAY Sports. “The season he’s had is ridiculous. The career he’s had is just tremendous.”
MVP voting for the regular season concluded on Monday. The recipient of the award won’t be revealed until the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5.
“I hope everybody has their head screwed on right and knows exactly that he’s the most valuable person in the league,” Avila said.
Stafford had a humble response when asked by USA TODAY Sports about his MVP candidacy and diverted the credit to the team.
“As far as being a candidate, I just wanted to play as good as I possibly can this year like I do every season,” Stafford said. “Obviously, I have great football players around me and coaches around me that give myself and our offense a chance and opportunity to succeed. We were able to do that.”
Stafford: ‘I didn’t know if I would get there’
What makes Stafford’s stellar year even more impressive is what he’s overcome this season – a campaign that almost didn’t happen.
The Rams granted Stafford’s agent permission to speak to other teams about a trade last February, before the sides agreed to a contract restructure later that month. But a subsequent aggravated disk in his back would cause Stafford to miss most of training camp.
“There were some lean moments. It was touch and go there for a little bit,” Stafford recalled. “A lot of treatments and things that I did to try and help myself get to this point. I didn’t know if I would get there but I went out there and it was wait and see, let’s see what happens. Luckily it turned out pretty good.”
Pretty good is an understatement. Stafford started all 17 regular-season games, led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns and is an odds-on favorite to win MVP.
Stafford’s now about to embark on another playoff journey in his fifth season as the Rams QB. Following a 2021 blockbuster trade with the Detroit Lions, Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl title his first season in Los Angeles. Stafford and the Rams have their sights set on another Lombardi Trophy, and maybe some additional hardware for the trophy case along the way.
“What a guy that you just watch that is totally present. He’s enjoying the moment and I think that’s when we’re at our best. I think this team has taken on a lot of the great traits, the toughness mentally and physically, and just the overall enjoyment for the chance to go compete, but also the ability to celebrate your teammates. He’s elevated everybody that he’s around, but it’s been really impressive,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised though. This has been consistent for him over the five years that we’ve been together. I’m just grateful to be able to have the opportunity to be partnered up with him.”