The Los Angeles Rams are back in the playoffs, and it is due largely to the high-caliber play from their starting quarterback.
Matthew Stafford, despite being 37 years old, led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46) during the 2025 regular season. He is expected to be a front-runner for the 2026 NFL MVP Award alongside New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who also turned in an impressive quarterback campaign.
Stafford was drafted to the NFL with the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Detroit went fully defeated (0-16) in the 2008 season, and Stafford was slow to right the ship. The Lions went 2-14 in his second season, but then started to pick things up over the years as the quarterback developed.
Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2021 season and is now one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the NFL and has thrown for 64,516 yards and 423 career touchdowns over 17 years.
Here is more on whether Stafford has won an MVP Award in his career.
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
- SN's expert predictions for NFL playoffs, Super Bowl 60
- Full NFL playoff schedule
- Updated NFL playoff bracket
- Wild-card picks, predictions
- NFL playoff power rankings, 1-14
Has Matthew Stafford won MVP?
No. Stafford is still searching for his first MVP Award. He is a frontrunner for the 2026 NFL MVP Award after a dominant 2025 regular season. Stafford led the league in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). This is the first time in his career that he led the league in either of those categories.
MORE: Meet Matthew Stafford's family tree, including wife Kelly and four daughters
Matthew Stafford MVP voting history
Stafford has been in the NFL for 17 years. Despite his career longevity, he played during a time when quarterbacks struggled to stand out and when 5,000-yard seasons were more common, as were 50-touchdown seasons.
The NFL releases the players with the most votes for the MVP Award. Some years it has been one player and unanimous, others have been a race of up to 10 players. In 2023, the NFL released the top-10 voting results, and Stafford finished eighth. In 15 games that year, the quarterback threw for 3,965 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. It was the lone time since he has entered the league that he appeared in the voting results breakdown.
MORE: Most career passing yards in NFL history
Matthew Stafford best NFL seasons
Here is a look at Stafford's best NFL seasons.
Overall
| Season | Games | Passing Yards | TD | INT |
| 2025 | 17 | 4,707 | 46 | 8 |
| 2011 | 16 | 5,038 | 41 | 16 |
| 2015 | 16 | 4,262 | 32 | 13 |
| 2017 | 16 | 4,446 | 29 | 10 |
| 2021 | 17 | 4,886 | 41 | 17 |
By team record
- 12-5 (2021)
- 12-5 (2025)
- 11-5 (2014)
- 10-6 (2011)
- 10-6 (2024)
By passing yards
- 5,038 (2011)
- 4,967 (2012)
- 4,886 (2021)
- 4,707 (2025)
- 4,650 (2013)
By passing touchdowns
- 46 (2025)
- 41 (2011)
- 41 (2021)
- 32 (2015)
- 29 (2013)
MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
- Ranking all 14 QBs in playoff, from best to worst
- Wild-card picks, predictions against the spread
- How 2026 NFL playoff format works