A bizarre debate has emerged in the aftermath of Super Bowl LVI. It’s bizarre because the subject of it is: (1) not retired; and (2) still alive.
Is Matthew Stafford a Hall of Famer? It’s a question that Richard Sherman, who is making the transition from shutdown corner to hot-take artist, raised after the Rams’ 23-20 win over the Bengals.
“The HOF bar is incredibly low now,” Sherman said on Twitter. “Like a participation trophy. No all decade team. No All Pro. No MVP. One Pro Bowl. Not even MVP of the Super Bowl. Never considered the best in any year he played. At least [Matt] Ryan has an MVP.”
Setting aside the question of whether the bar is too low (and whether that low bar will help get Sherman in), Stafford’s career isn’t over. He has a Super Bowl win. He led the game-winning drive, making multiple key throws to secure the victory.
Before this season, Stafford had 12 underrated and largely overlooked years with a bad Lions franchise. Through it all, he did his job to the best of his ability, quietly racking up tremendous numbers.
He recently turned 34, and he’s already at No. 12 on the all-time passing yardage list, with 49,995, and at No. 12 in career touchdown passes, with 323. He’ll keep climbing the lists, and he could still win more Super Bowls.
How much longer will he play? Five years? Seven? That’s not yet known.
Thus, it’s way too early to have the debate. Eventually, it’ll happen. Inevitably, the voters will scrutinize his full career accomplishments. History could look kindly on what he was able to achieve with a chronically inept franchise.