Stafford 2026

SleeperNFL@SleeperNFL
The Rams reportedly believe Matthew Stafford’s lack of training camp reps last year was a “critical form of load management,” and plan to manage his reps again this offseason.

Stafford returned and had “the best season of his life.”

wv wrote:

Just curious. Who is Stafford’s closest ‘comp’ among active QBs in the NFL today.

IMHO the real difference between Stafford and Allen or Mahomes, is that whatever legs MS did have, are shot. He can move around in the backfield but he’s not a running threat. Beyond that he has the same arm the other 2 do, but he’s also a hair more accurate on a consistent basis. Mahomes, like Stafford, has a clutch gene.

I think Stafford is a slight percentage up from the other 2 when it comes to processing and recognition. The other 2 can go outside of structure when’s nothing’s there much more than Stafford does, but on the other hand Stafford excels at squeezing the last half inch of a play out of tight situations, so “nothing there” doesn’t quite mean the same thing for him.

I know that didn’t answer your question. But it would take a while to think of who is directly comparable. It’s like Stafford is a Brady with more arm and less risk adverse.

…

from Matthew Stafford’s season could have been even better if not for drops

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/07/11/matthew-staffords-season-could-have-been-even-better-if-not-for-drops/90887476007/?taid=6a52f535ae9f0300013bb56f&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford put together one of the most efficient seasons of his career in 2025, one that ended with league-leading stats and an MVP trophy. But those numbers could have been even better if not for a litany of drops this past season.

Stafford lost 42.15 expected points added to drops, the fifth-highest total in the league, according to nflfastR and FTN Charting data (via Nutshell Sports).

A look at how much EPA quarterbacks lost because of drops during the 2025 NFL season.

Dak Prescott and Trevor Lawrence lost the most EPA to drops.

Drop data via @FTNFantasy charting pic.twitter.com/UyeMZQn0kW

— Nutshell Sports (@NutshellSportz) July 10, 2026

…In other words, Stafford was already playing at an elite level, and his receivers left a significant chunk of production on the field.

The drops were spread across L.A.’s pass-catching corps. Davante Adams led the way with five drops on the season, tied for the 23rd-most in the league among qualifying receivers, despite still posting a robust 110.7 passer rating on his targets and finishing with a league-high 14 touchdowns. Puka Nacua added four drops of his own, while tight ends Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen each had three. Running back Blake Corum chipped in three drops as well, on just 14 targets — a 21.4% drop rate that stands out even in a small sample.

Nacua’s drop rate (2.4%) was still low relative to his target volume, but Corum’s number underscores how even marginal usage in the passing game came with inefficiency attached. Parkinson’s 5.4% drop rate and Mumpfield’s 8.7% also chipped away at possessions that could have extended drives or turned into scores.

Adams still finished as one of Stafford’s most reliable options by rate stats, and Nacua’s monster season (129 catches, 1,715 yards) speaks for itself. But the cumulative effect of two dozen drops on a quarterback who was already producing at a top-five clip in the league is notable. Had even half of those drops been secured, Stafford’s counting numbers — and his case in any MVP or Pro Bowl conversation — would look even more dominant.

For a 37-year-old quarterback often discussed in terms of what he has left, the 2025 drop data suggests he’s still playing at a level that outpaces the stats his teammates helped shape. The hope is that the disconnect that plagued Adams and Stafford early in the year doesn’t carry over into 2026, and the same goes for the young and inexperienced receivers who also dropped passes.

SleeperNFL@SleeperNFL
@PFF ranks their highest rated QBs in the clutch last season:

1 – Dak Prescott
2 – Matthew Stafford
3 – Lamar Jackson
4 – Sam Darnold
5 – Josh Allen

A look at quarterback EPA per play inside and outside the pocket.

Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, and Jordan Love all stood out as highly effective in both situations last year.

Inside/outside pocket designation via @FTNFantasy charting. pic.twitter.com/17zsw8L2ly

— Nutshell Sports (@NutshellSportz) July 15, 2026

Warren Sharp@SharpFootball
Comeback Kings:

best QBs when losing in the 2nd half
*2025 regular season, ranked by EPA/dropback

1. Matthew Stafford (+0.45)
2. Jordan Love (+0.31)
3. Bo Nix (+0.28)
4. Josh Allen (+0.28)
5. Caleb Williams (+0.27)
6. Brock Purdy (+0.22)
7. Patrick Mahomes (+0.22)
8. Drake Maye (+0.20)
9. Mac Jones (+0.17)
10. Dak Prescott (+0.16)
11. Baker Mayfield (+0.16)
12. Bryce Young (+0.14)
13. Sam Darnold (+0.13)
14. Tyler Shough (+0.10)
15. Justin Fields (+0.10)
16. Aaron Rodgers (+0.09)
17. Geno Smith (+0.07)
18. Michael Penix Jr. (+0.06)
19. Lamar Jackson (+0.06)
20. Jacoby Brissett (+0.04)
21. Jared Goff (+0.04)
22. Trevor Lawrence (+0.03)
23. Justin Herbert (+0.02)
24. Jalen Hurts (+0.01)
25. Jaxson Dart (0.00)
26. Daniel Jones (-0.03)
27. Marcus Mariota (-0.05)
28. Joe Burrow (-0.05)
29. Tua Tagovailoa (-0.06)
30. Spencer Rattler (-0.06)
31. Kirk Cousins (-0.12)
32. Joe Flacco (-0.13)
33. Cam Ward (-0.19)
34. C.J. Stroud (-0.25)
35. Shedeur Sanders (-0.31)
36. J.J. McCarthy (-0.40)

from Ranking NFL quarterbacks by trait: Best arm, accuracy, more

Dan Orlovsky

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49521144/2026-ranking-best-nfl-quarterbacks-top-10-trait-skill-arm-accuracy-rushing

You’re going to hear us talk about quarterbacks a lot on “NFL Live” over the course of the 2026 season. There will be debates about all of them, from the best in the game to the borderline starters. But for a third straight year, I’m narrowing the focus here in the preseason. Who are the best signal-callers in the NFL at individual skills?

Does anyone boast a better arm than Josh Allen? Does Joe Burrow or Matthew Stafford have the more refined mechanics? Is Lamar Jackson still the gold standard in QB rushing?

I ranked the top 10 quarterbacks by seven different traits: arm strength, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, second-reaction creativity and rushing ability. These lists are based on current performance and expectations for the 2026 season. It is how I would rank the QB group at this exact moment. I included only starters and leaned on what I see on tape to form the rankings.

Arm strength

1. Josh Allen, Bills
2. Justin Herbert, Chargers
3. Caleb Williams, Bears
4. Matthew Stafford, Rams
5. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
6. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
7. Drake Maye, Patriots
8. Joe Burrow, Bengals
9. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys

There are different kinds of arm strength. Everyone immediately looks at deep balls — the 60-yard Hail Marys down the sideline. It’s all about who can throw the rock the furthest, right? You need a live arm to connect on those shot plays, no doubt. But I focus more on passes into tight windows in the intermediate areas of the field and the pure power throws from what I call “funny body” positions. Quarterbacks don’t have the strong base to fall back on here; there is no loading up and driving through the pass. Instead, they need to rely almost entirely on their arm to get the ball where it needs to go with velocity.

Allen is still No. 1 in this department. His ability to get zip on his throws from uncomfortable positions really stands out. He just flicks his wrist, and the ball is suddenly in his receiver’s hands on a rope. Not every QB1 can do that, and yet he does it with consistency.

But there are some challengers for his top spot this year. Herbert gets real pop on his throws by driving it. No one has completed more tight-window balls over the past five years than Herbert (162). Williams got legit consideration for No. 1, too. He made some miraculous passes from unorthodox positions in 2025, including a 40-plus-yard strike to the end zone late in the divisional round — while back-pedaling.

Mahomes can wing it with the best of them, and Stafford and Maye are both elite on downfield balls. Stafford completed 37 passes of 20 or more air yards last season, easily the most in the NFL. And I also want to call out Mayfield — I still think he has the most slept-on arm in the NFL. The one quarterback I really wanted to get into the top 10 was Trevor Lawrence. He also has some underrated arm talent and makes difficult throws look easy. Hey, it’s tough to limit these lists to just 10 guys.

Ball placement

1. Matthew Stafford, Rams
2. Drake Maye, Patriots
3. Sam Darnold, Seahawks
4. Joe Burrow, Bengals
5. Jared Goff, Lions
6. Jordan Love, Packers
7. Josh Allen, Bills
8. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
9. Brock Purdy, 49ers
10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys

How do you find the best quarterbacks in ball placement? Their receivers are never truly considered “covered.”

I say this every year in this space, but it’s worth refreshing: Accuracy and ball placement aren’t the same thing. Accuracy means putting the ball on the receiver so he can make the play. Ball placement means putting the ball on the receiver in the perfect spot so he can make the play — and no one else can. The names at the top of this list — including some MVP candidates last season in Stafford and Maye — routinely keep the ball away from the defender. It’s all about precision.

Let’s start by addressing a big shift at the top. Burrow was the top-ranked QB in ball placement on each of the past two lists I’ve put together. He’s now No. 4. He’s still extremely good in this area, able to pin the ball to his receivers. But injuries did cost him more than half of the 2025 season, and it opened the door for some others to move up the list a little bit. Fair or not, I’m factoring in time on task. And Stafford came out every Sunday and fired bull’s-eyes with conviction.

If you’re looking at the stats, Maye would have a pretty good case to be the new No. 1, too. He settles for second here, but there’s no knocking his league-best 72.0% completion rate and 9.1% completion rate above expectation (per NFL Next Gen Stats). And unlike every other QB in the top five, he wasn’t playing with an All-Pro receiver. Maye was especially good with trajectory going downfield, dropping it in a bucket. I can’t wait to see what he does with A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in 2026.

Goff is sneaky good in this trait, and we see it at all levels of the field. Purdy displays incredible touch, layering the ball in. His 10.7% off-target rate was fourth-best in the NFL last season. Love and Prescott have an impressive ability to float the pass in and set their receiver up for yards after the catch. It’s another list that was hard to sort through at the bottom, but I think every name on here is deserving.

Tua Tagovailoa has been a mainstay in the ball placement top 10, and he was all the way up at No. 2 in 2024 when I first started doing this annual project. But he has declined a bit here, and his QB1 battle in Atlanta disqualifies him, anyway. Geno Smith also slid out after making the list in back-to-back years; he didn’t look like the same quarterback last season at 35 years old.

Mechanics

1. Matthew Stafford, Rams
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals
3. Daniel Jones, Colts
4. Jared Goff, Lions
5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
6. C.J. Stroud, Texans
7. Caleb Williams, Bears
8. Jayden Daniels, Commanders
9. Josh Allen, Bills
10. Lamar Jackson, Ravens

It’s neck and neck between Stafford and Burrow. Things that matter here:

Clean, smooth throwing motions from start to finish

Strong bases that keep the QB in rhythm and firm

Repeatable processes that don’t change from rep to rep, even when things get chaotic around the QB

That last one is key for Stafford and Burrow. Defenses don’t know what’s coming because every throw looks exactly the same coming out. It’s amazing consistency. The tight connection between Stafford’s upper and lower body allows him to pull off all those no-look throws. Defenses can’t tell the difference until his release, and bam, the ball is going somewhere unexpected.

You might be surprised to see Jones at No. 3. I was, too. But watching the tape again, I was taken aback by how good his mechanics were in Indianapolis last season. The Colts ran many different forms of RPOs, and that means his mechanics need to be sound. They were.

Goff, Prescott and Stroud are such pure passers, with beautiful, natural motions. Daniels’ mechanics have shades of Stroud. And I was impressed with how much Williams improved here last season. He might be more known for the off-platform plays, but he’s solid from a mechanics standpoint. I had a hard time leaving Justin Herbert off. He probably should be on the list. Aaron Rodgers was also a tough cut, even in Year 22.

Decision-making with the football

1. Josh Allen, Bills
2. Matthew Stafford, Rams
3. Jordan Love, Packers
4. Drake Maye, Patriots
5. Jayden Daniels, Commanders
6. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
7. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
8. Joe Burrow, Bengals
9. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
10. Jalen Hurts, Eagles

Here are the league’s top problem solvers. Being a good decision-maker means making the right choice when things are going to plan, but it also means making the only choice when things are falling apart. Find the correct outlet, but avoid mistakes, turnovers and negative plays.

Last year, I put Allen at No. 2 on this list and said that his “decision-making improved [in 2024] more than any other NFL quarterback improved in any trait.” Well, he’s moving up again. He makes good decisions both in and out of structure. He threw 10 interceptions and lost three fumbles last season, but his tape shows an ability to read the defense and avoid getting baited into trouble.

Maye and Love leaped into the top five. They ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in EPA per dropback last season (Maye was first at 0.27, just beating Love’s 0.22), and they were both in the top 10 in interception rate (Love was sixth at 1.4%, slightly better than Maye’s 1.6% in 10th). Daniels, meanwhile, was already solid as a decision-maker, but he should keep growing in the new Commanders offense.

I haven’t really talked about Mahomes yet. Some might see decision-making as a question mark on his otherwise impeccable scouting report. But that would be discounting just how much is asked of him as a decision-maker in Kansas City. He threw 11 interceptions last season, but he was constantly trying to find plays when they weren’t there.

It was another list that could have included Trevor Lawrence. I also entertained Jared Goff, who threw eight picks all last season.

Note: Stafford is not ranked top 10 in these categories: | Pocket presence | Second reaction | Rushing ability