NFL DC Talks Matthew Stafford, 'Offensive Coaches Kiss This Guy's Ass All The Time'

One NFL defensive coordinator had a candid assessment of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford narrowly made the first tier in the annual QB rankings from The Athletic's Mike Sando. Twenty-six of the 50 voters had him in Tier 1, and it's pretty clear the anonymous defensive coordinator wasn't one of them.

"I guarantee all your 1s for Stafford came from offensive coaches," the assistant told Sando. "Offensive coaches kiss this guy's ass all the time, especially guys from that system. He's really good, though. I would take him over (Justin) Herbert because he is a better passer, with better timing."

Another defensive coordinator had a different opinion and told Sando "there is really nothing" to warrant keeping Stafford out of the first tier.

"He's a 1. He's that good," the coach said. "They are a play away from (the NFC Championship Game) last year. He worries the s--t out of you."

Stafford's 2021 trade to the Rams was a pivotal moment in his career. He finally got to taste postseason success and won over a lot of his skeptics in the process.

With the Detroit Lions, the 37-year-old was a prolific passer who routinely garnered praise for his raw ability. Still, the Lions' general futility was glaring.

"Why he hasn't won more, I always try to put my finger on that," one coach said to Sando in 2020 for the QB tiers exercise. "We always talk about the culture. Pat Mahomes comes into the league and sits behind Alex Smith, and you have Andy Reid there. If you put Matt Stafford in that situation his rookie year and he gets to see, 'OK, this is a Hall of Fame head coach, a quarterback that has been around the league that I can learn from and see his habits.' I don't know if Matt Stafford has ever been exposed to what it's supposed to look like."

For Stafford, joining the Rams meant aligning an elite offensive play-caller in Sean McVay and having a championship-caliber supporting cast around him. The results were immediate as he threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to L.A. winning a Super Bowl.

The fact the Rams have largely remained competitive — a 5-12 finish in 2022 aside — despite many key players from that title run moving on has only bolstered Stafford's resume.

Looking back on his career, there hasn't been a year in which Stafford was unquestionably the NFL's best quarterback, and two Pro Bowl nods in 16 seasons is an unimpressive return.

Still, his consistency and longevity have provided a compelling response to those who long argued his reputation outpaced his value and impact on the field.