Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford redefined his legacy in Super Bowl 56 on Sunday, as he orchestrated a game-winning scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to outlast the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, and capture his first Lombardi Trophy. His performance wasn't flawless -- he threw for 283 yards with three touchdowns and two picks -- but he delivered in crunchtime.
With a championship under his belt, Stafford's resume looks more impressive. The 34-year-old is the quickest player in NFL history to reach 50,000 passing yards (including postseason), and he also ranks top-12 in yards, touchdowns, and completions. But has Stafford built a Hall of Fame career? In 13 seasons, he's never received an MVP vote. He's been to one Pro Bowl. He's lacking in awards, and this is a big reason why former NFL player and current podcast host Ross Tucker doesn't view Stafford as a Hall of Fame quarterback now.
"Everybody always says, 'Why do they have to have the five-year waiting period [for HOF voting?]' This is why. Because, evidently, our society is filled with a lot of morons," Tucker told The DA Show on Tuesday. "We need moron protection. We need to have five years for everyone to take a breath. I don't know how much longer Stafford's going to play. And I'm sure by the end of it, he'll be in top-10 of every statistical category. When he's up for the HOF, he'll probably be getting passed out, around then, by guys like Allen, Mahomes.
"My point is, everything he's done that's so impressive statistically, to some people, won't even be as impressive anymore... This is maybe the second year of his career where I'd say he was a top-five quarterback... If two out of 13 years you're top-five at your position, that's not a lock Hall of Famer. Unless we just want to have a new Hall of Fame that's for quarterbacks who put up big numbers. I mean, what are we even talking about?"
Stafford's signature drive began midway through the fourth quarter, with the Rams trailing by four points. In a span of five minutes, he led the offense 79 yards downfield on 15 plays, and with 85 seconds remaining, he connected with Cooper Kupp on a one-yard, title-clinching touchdown pass. It was the longest go-ahead drive in the second half in Super Bowl history, per Elias.
Los Angeles drew first blood midway through the first quarter. On a 3rd-and-3 from Cincinnati's 17-yard line, Stafford found Odell Beckham Jr. in the low-right corner of the end zone, capping of a six-play, 50-yard drive. Stafford's second touchdown also went to Kupp, who was left wide open on a corner route from 11 yards out early in the second quarter. Stafford's just the third quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first season with a new team.
The entire Super Bowl conversation between Tucker and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
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