Matthew Stafford is having one of those seasons that forces a league-wide double-take. Even in Thursday night’s heartbreaking overtime loss to Seattle, the 37-year-old quarterback was electric. He threw for 457 yards and dragged the Los Angeles Rams back into the fight repeatedly.
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These are the performances that have pushed Stafford to the top of the NFL MVP race, narrowly ahead of Drake Maye and Josh Allen. And many have started to believe that the Brady comparisons are no longer just lazy talk-show fodder.
Through 15 weeks, Stafford has been the most consistent force in the MVP conversation. He leads the league in passing touchdowns (35), passer rating (113.1), touchdown-to-interception ratio (8.8), and completions of 20-plus yards (50). Stafford ranks fourth in passing yards.
At 37, in his 17th NFL season, Stafford is playing some of the cleanest, most aggressive football of his career with 4100+ passing yards and 40 TDs. That consistency is why Stafford has opened up a betting edge over the field.
Current MVP odds list him at -300, Maye at +500, and Josh Allen at +550. While the gap isn’t insurmountable, Stafford’s blend of volume, efficiency, and command has made him the standard everyone else is chasing.
Then there are the parallels with Brady, which become even more interesting when you look back to the Patriots legend’s career.
When the GOAT was 37 years old in the 2014 season, he produced what many assumed would be a late-career peak: 4,109 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 97.4 passer rating. That year ended with Brady lifting his fourth Super Bowl trophy and earning Super Bowl MVP honors after a dramatic comeback against Seattle.
What stood out most wasn’t just the performance, but Brady’s mindset. The morning after that Super Bowl win, he famously rejected the idea that his career was winding down.
“I am still kind of in the midst of my career,” Brady said, emphasizing that his focus wasn’t on legacy, but on chasing more titles. Even after four championships, he was looking forward, not willing to settle down.
Stafford, now the same age, sounds remarkably similar. Not in tone, but in philosophy. Asked about MVP chatter, he brushed it aside with characteristic detachment.
“I’ll let all that other stuff take care of itself,” Stafford said. “That’s the whole position. I’m here, I’m all-in when I’m here.”
Like Brady in 2014, Stafford is letting the play speak louder than the awards talk. Beyond the MVP race, this season is reshaping Stafford’s historical standing.
The Rams star already owns a Super Bowl ring, sits top 10 all-time in passing yards, and is climbing the touchdown list. What’s been missing from his résumé are the individual honors: No All-Pro selections, limited Pro Bowls, no MVPs. A league MVP at 37 would change the tone of every Hall of Fame debate attached to his name.
Much like Brady in 2014, Stafford isn’t playing like someone squeezing out a final act. He’s playing like someone who believes the window is still wide open.
Brady went on to win three more Super Bowls after the 2014 season. Whether Stafford can mirror that level of sustained dominance is an open question. But the fact that it’s even being asked says volumes about the season he’s delivering.
