Rams' 25 most important players for 2025 – No. 1: QB Matthew Stafford

USA Today

6 days ago

In the days leading up to training camp, we've ranked the Los Angeles Rams' 25 most important players for the 2025 season. On the eve of rookies and veterans both reporting to Loyola Marymount University, we've officially reached the final player on our list.
Unsurprisingly, the Rams' most important player is the guy who led them to a Super Bowl win in his first season with the team, putting himself in the Hall of Fame conversation now that he's got a ring. It is, of course, Matthew Stafford.
He's still one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL at this stage of his career, being voted the sixth-best QB by executives, coaches and scouts from around the league. The Rams resolved his contract dispute this offseason by giving him a well-deserved raise, keeping him in Los Angeles for at least one more year.
The Rams will only go as far as Stafford can take them, despite the fact that they have a great young defense and a cast of offensive playmakers to rival any team's. If Stafford can stay healthy, the Rams will most likely be in contention.
How he got here
The Rams acquired Stafford in a blockbuster trade four years ago, sending Jared Goff and draft picks to the Detroit Lions in exchange for the veteran quarterback. Stafford has since signed two contract extensions, the most recent of which came this year when he received $80 million in new money, including $40 million fully guaranteed.
2024 stats
16 games (16 starts): 65.8% completion rate, 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 93.7 passer rating
Projected role
Stafford is QB1, obviously. It's the role he's held since the minute he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009, never relinquishing his starting spot for anything other than injury (or rest). He's the Rams' signal caller and leader on offense, getting everyone organized and on the same page before the snap.
Stafford has stayed healthy for the last two years, only missing one game since 2023 because of injury. He sat out Week 18 in each of the last two seasons when the Rams rested their top players before the postseason, but other than that, he's only been sidelined for one game due to injury.
Why he's important
No position in sports is more closely linked to a team's success than quarterback. It's arguably the most difficult position to play, too, with all of the pre- and post-snap processing a quarterback has to do.
The Rams are a legitimate Super Bowl contender with Stafford on the field, just as they were last season when they nearly took down the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Without Stafford, they'd probably be a fringe playoff team.
Sure, Jimmy Garoppolo is a quality backup to have, but he's not close to being the player that Stafford is. Stafford still has all the talent in the world as a passer, which Davante Adams alluded to this offseason, having worked with No. 9 for the first time in his career.
He's also incredibly smart, having seen every type of coverage and defense imaginable. That's the benefit of having such an experienced quarterback under center, and it's part of what makes Stafford so dangerous every time he steps on the field.
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