Will Matthew Stafford become the 10th QB in history to accomplish this feat after turning 37?
If your 37-year-old quarterback isn’t Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers, he’s in trouble. Matthew Stafford turns 37 in three months and that could be why the most popular search term for the Rams quarterback is fans asking how old he is.
If Rodgers retires after the season, Stafford will be the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL. That is only if Stafford doesn’t also retire.
Matthew Stafford is intercepted for the sixth straight game, the longest INT streak of his career. pic.twitter.com/a5ecAXRQhZ
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 12, 2024
Over-37 QBs
In the 105-year history of NFL data collection stored at Pro-Football-Reference.com, there have been 9 different human beings who played quarterback in the NFL after turning 37 and had a season with a 100+ QB rating. Could Stafford be the 10th or does it feel like his best playing days were 104 years ago?
- Aaron Rodgers has done it twice and posted a 121.5 passer rating in 2020, when he was 37, the best in history for a QB who was over 36
- Drew Brees did it 5 times(!), including a 116.3 passer rating when he was 40
- Peyton Manning did it twice, including 115.1 when he was 37
- Tom Brady shows up on the list 5 times, including 112.2 passer rating when he was 39
- The others: Brett Favre (40), Philip Rivers (37), Y.A. Tittle (37), Charlie Conerly (38), and Steve Young (37) all did it once
Of course, Brady had 9 good seasons after he turned 37, which is 9 more good seasons than most quarterbacks at any stage of their career. Brady threw 290 touchdowns after he turned 37!
That doesn’t make him the rule, it makes him the exception. It’s meaningless to Rams fans that one exceptional Hall of Famer was good after 37. The vast majority stop being good by 37. Some would say that Stafford stopped being good at 34.
If the Rams can give Stafford better protection than he had in Monday’s loss to the Dolphins, the veteran QB has proven to still have one of the best arms in the league.
“You miss 100% of the reckless tight window throws you don’t attempt.” – Matthew Stafford pic.twitter.com/mTBJ5CVHWB
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 4, 2024
This could be a blessing or false hope.
What’s the next thing that could go, if not Stafford’s arm talent? He’s not mobile, he’s not a great decision-maker for four quarters, he’s getting rattled from pressure as much as he ever has been rattled, and the Rams can’t score touchdowns in the red zone.
So the answer to the question that people want to search for: Stafford is almost 37.
The answer to the question you REALLY want to know: Yes, that’s concerning.
