Matthew Stafford hasn’t just revived his career in 2025, he’s performing at a full-blown MVP pace. Entering Week 11, the 37-year-old quarterback has surpassed every expectation placed on him back in September, when many doubted whether he could still carry the Los Angeles Rams to playoff contention. Those doubts are long gone.
Stafford is now firmly in the MVP race at +300, trailing only rookie sensation Drake Maye (+250), and he’s doing it while leading the Rams into a blockbuster NFC West showdown against the 7–2 Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.
Amid Stafford’s scorching run — 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions over his last three games — Rams safety Quentin Lake stepped forward to make something very clear: the veteran quarterback isn’t suddenly elite; he has always been this player. And anyone acting surprised just hasn’t been paying attention.
Lake pushed back on the narrative that Stafford’s greatness is some kind of late-career revelation. He pointed out that Stafford’s highlight-reel traits aren’t new or manufactured for the cameras. They’re part of who he has always been. Lake recalled how people often react to Stafford’s signature no-look throws:
“People think like, ‘Oh, is he just doing no looks in the game?’ No, he does it all the time in practice. It happened to me a couple weeks ago. He got me.”
From there, Lake doubled down on the idea that Stafford has never been underrated in his eyes: “He’s not underrated. He’s not underrated at all. He’s always played at this level… To me personally, he has been a dog. He has been an elite quarterback for his whole career.”
Lake noted that the only difference this season is that the Rams are winning, and the spotlight has returned to Stafford’s brilliance:
“We’re winning games and he’s playing at an absolutely elite level. But I’ve always said this—said it early in the offseason—he is a Hall of Famer. No doubt in my mind.”
Lake even went as far as to say Stafford belongs in the upper tier of the MVP race this season:
“There are some great guys in the MVP race, but you just look at what he’s done… not only to defenses but what he’s done statistically—absolutely incredible.”
And perhaps his highest praise came when he talked about the privilege of only facing Stafford in practice:
“I’m very glad that although I go against him at practice, I don’t have to go against him when those bullets are flying live.”
He explained that a veteran consistently performing year after year doesn’t generate the same buzz, until suddenly, it does:
“There’s a little bit of repeatability when a guy has been doing it for so long… But then you get a guy who’s 37, and now he’s in the MVP candidacy, and now everybody’s like, ‘Oh, it’s crazy to see now all these viewers saying this guy’s unreal.’ But it’s been that for his long tenure in the NFL. He’s been tearing up defenses for a very, very long time.”
This Sunday, the 7–2 Rams host the 7–2 Seahawks in a game that won’t just determine the top of the NFC West, it could also preview the NFC Championship. With Sam Darnold’s resurgence in Seattle and Stafford’s historic run in L.A., the matchup promises fireworks.
Stafford enters the game with 2,427 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions, putting him on pace for one of the finest seasons of his 17-year career. If he wins MVP, he would become the oldest player in NFL history to win his first MVP award.
Sean McVay is expected to come out aggressive early, especially with the Rams’ offense clicking behind Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams. SoFi Stadium hasn’t always provided a notable home-field advantage, but removing the travel grind and providing Stafford a familiar environment could be just enough in a matchup likely to surpass 20 points on both sides.
