Sherman premature to reject LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford HOF

Bitter Richard

But Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Richard Sherman does not believe that the threshold for a Hall of Fame nomination and induction has been met by Stafford. Is he just a hater, a bitter competitor whose views are tainted with years of rivalry with the Rams by playing for the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Or does he have a valid point?

Or, as we have found through the Skip Bayless’s of the NFL, is he simply throwing gasoline on an emotional topic and then as it blazes on social media, sits backs and chuckles to himself as another job well done by a Twitter arsonist?

Before we wade into this fiery debate, let’s first try to agree on what a successful NFL quarterback’s career must contain in order to truly be an undeniable NFL Hall of Fame candidate.

Make a point, miss the point

You see, Sherman has a point, but he misses the point altogether.  He lists the criteria for an NFL QB’s Hall of Fame resume as must include: All-Decade, All-Pro, Multiple Pro Bowls, Super Bowl MVP, Must be the best in one year.

Okay. But is this a team award, an individual award, or a popularity award? If you drop Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers into the Detroit Lions for 12 seasons, is he still as highly regarded? What about the quality of the offensive line? The quality of the team’s running attack? The quality of the team’s defense?

Was Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow truly the best AFC quarterback? Or did he simply benefit from a defense that was stingy and created a lot of turnovers? And what about the fact that he threw to Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd? The LA Rams 2021 experience proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the ceiling of some players depends entirely upon the right teammate.