C.J. Stroud Believes Matthew Stafford Could Have Won More Rings

Elite NFL quarterbacks are few and far between. In this case though, we have one, talking about another, and how he would’ve fared in a third’s shoes. Not too confusing, right?

To state it more clearly, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud recently discussed Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on the MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME podcast. Stroud praised the Pro Bowl quarterback, saying he would’ve found more success than Aaron Rodgers throughout his career had he been placed in the same situation.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t even the podcast’s first instance of Stroud taking another quarterback over Rodgers. In a separate comment, Stroud suggested he’d rather have Eli Manning, given the fact that he won more rings.

Rodgers, now the quarterback of the New York Jets, spent 18 years as a member of the Green Bay Packers. During that time, he won four MVP awards, but managed to win the Super Bowl just once. It’s a great accomplishment, but it’s hard to believe he has never had another appearance in the big game.

Stafford also has one Super Bowl to his name, in the first year after his 2021 trade to the Rams. After being the first-overall pick of the 2009 draft, Stafford spent the majority of his career on the Detroit Lions. His talent was always obvious, but he struggled to find success on mediocre teams in Detroit.

Stroud’s claim isn’t ludicrous by any means, especially considering how quickly Stafford found success in a new setting. We’ll never know if he would’ve outperformed Rodgers, but it’s safe to assume he wouldn’t have disappointed.

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Stafford vs. Rodgers

Did Rodgers quietly underachieve in Green Bay?

It’s hard to point to a 10x Pro Bowler and say he didn’t meet expectations. Rodgers was a star in Green Bay, and there are few quarterbacks who could’ve done what he did. According to Stroud though, one of those is Stafford.

Stafford, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice in his career, led the Lions to the playoffs on three different occasions. In each one of those, they lost their first game. This means in 12 years as a Lion, Stafford had three playoff games, a total he surpassed in one year as a Ram.

Rodgers, on the other hand, led the Packers to the playoffs on 11 different occasions. This includes their Super Bowl season, which concluded with a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in February 2011. Rodgers clearly found more success, but did he maximize his potential?

With four MVP awards to his name, it’s hard to believe Rodgers only got Green Bay to the NFL’s finale once. The team was never the most star-studded in the NFL, but they were fully capable of reaching their destination in many different years.

A prime example of this was their playoff collapse against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Green Bay seemingly had the game in hand, until allowing Seattle to come back and steal an overtime victory. It was one of many “what if” years for Rodgers and company.

Stafford doesn’t have as many years regarded as “disappointing,” simply because the expectations were consistently lower. He was seen as overperforming, and trying to make things work with a bad roster. Winning a championship immediately after his escape from Detroit only fed this narrative.

Tracing back to Stroud’s point, would Stafford have won more championships if he were in Rodgers’ shoes? We’ll obviously never know, but it’s hard to give any definitive answer. Stafford was stellar, but Rodgers’ spectacular play is often overlooked.

Known for his pinpoint accuracy, Rodgers carved up opponents for years as Green Bay’s signal-caller. His play style might not be as flashy as Stafford’s, but there isn’t a ton of room to improve on how he performed. It’s certainly possible Stafford could’ve been even better, but the debate is very subjective.

Luckily for all parties involved, it’s a mere hypothetical, and everyone is a winner. Stafford and Rodgers have both hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, and Stroud will compete this year in an attempt to do the same.

Source: Ari Meirov

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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