Going into the 2025 NFL Honors, we all kind of knew it was either Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford winning the regular-season MVP. And that proved true, with Stafford taking home the elusive award, which many believe he deserved far more than the other finalists.
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Stafford has played 17 seasons in the NFL with two teams, and after being traded to the LA Rams in his 13th year, he won a Super Bowl. He has been the key engine of the team’s offense for the last few years as well. He finally led the league in passing yards and touchdowns for the first time in his career this season, earned his first All-Pro nod, and made his third Pro Bowl.
That stacked portfolio was strong enough to sway AP voters over New England’s Maye, who has plenty of time to win the award later in his career. But the question remains: Does this win automatically make Stafford a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Former NFL safety Ryan Clark certainly thinks so.
“What this does for Matthew Stafford, it solidifies him as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It puts him in the top-10 of quarterbacks, in my opinion, that’s ever played this game,” Clark began his argument during a segment of First Take.
Clark went on to praise Stafford as a well-respected player within the Rams organization, which the analyst said was on full display during the award ceremony.
After receiving his MVP award, Stafford thanked his parents, wife, and kids, then put all retirement talk to rest by saying he would be back next year. When that happened, head coach Sean McVay and RB Kyren Williams were seen smiling, clapping, and clearly relieved by the reassurance. Clark says that moment speaks volumes about who Stafford is as a teammate and a leader in LA.
“It solidifies him as a first ballot Hall of Famer. It puts him in the top 10 of quarterbacks that’s ever played this game.”
—@Realrclark25 on Matthew Stafford winning NFL MVP pic.twitter.com/abjHp0ppIh
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 6, 2026
We have to agree with Clark here. If Warren Moon could make the Hall of Fame on the first ballot without winning a Super Bowl, and if Dan Marino could do the same without a ring, then Stafford should be able to get in as well, with a Super Bowl title to his name on top of his MVP.
Saints legend Drew Brees, who became the 11th quarterback to earn first-ballot Hall of Fame honors during the same event Stafford won his MVP, also won a Super Bowl but never captured a regular-season MVP, yet still got in. So, again, Stafford should be in as well.
Stafford currently ranks sixth all-time in career passing yards (64,516) and completions (5,562), and seventh all-time in passing touchdowns (423). With at least one more season confirmed, and possibly more, he will add to those totals and continue to climb the all-time lists. That should only strengthen his case.
We also agree with Clark that if Stafford had not moved to LA, this argument about him being a first-ballot Hall of Famer likely would not even exist.
