Bleacher Report misses the mark about Matthew Stafford, and fans know why

Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is the NFL's Most Valuable Player. That's quite a feat for an NFL starting quarterback who enters the 2026 NFL season at 38 years old. Stafford shrugged off difficult contract negotiations and a ruptured disc in his back in 2025 to step onto the football field and put up what is arguably his best NFL season.

Now, he has the nearly impossible task of repeating that level of success. It would be easy to do. That's something that Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon addressed in a recent article, citing the main obstacle every NFL starting quarterback faces in 2026. It's an ambitious undertaking, so it's no wonder he missed the mark when describing LA's greatest obstacle this season.

What they said: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | A lack of receiver depth

Gagnon does what many NFL analysts and writers do. He reads general articles about Los Angeles and fails to dive deep enough into the details to get it right. He cits this in his article:

"There isn't a lot of talent or experience beyond Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at that position, which is far from ideal considering that Adams is 33 years old and Nacua has encountered several alarming issues."

Well, that's partially true. But LA lost a rather ineffective Tutu Atwell, drafted rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels and tight end Max Klare, and is more loaded on offense. The team shifted from 11 to 12 and or 13 personnel packages last season, and the team gets back everyone except Atwell and retired rigth tackle Rob Havenstein.

Havenstein played just seven games in 2025.

What they should have said : Can LA Rams OL protect Stafford in 2026?

The LA Rams surrendered just 23 quarterback sacks in 2025, tied with the Denver Broncos for the best pass-blocking offensive line last season. That was a marked improvement over 2024, when the offensive line surrendered 31 quarterback sacks.

And that's the question. Can LA's offensive line perform as well in 2026? After all, the team is counting on Warren McClendon Jr. to anchor the right side of the offensive line as the new presumed starter this season. And the offensive line was relatively healthy last season. Can they stay healthy in 2026?

Los Angeles deployed 10 offensive linemen in 2025, with seven players getting a significant number of snaps. So the team leaned on backups last season to keep Matthew Stafford upright last year. Two of those 10 offensive linemen are gone: Havenstein retired, and DJ Humphries was not re-signed for 2025.

While the team reloaded the roster, there is the inevitable uncertainty that it will all come together. Of course, one of the flagship rookies from the 2026 NFL draft is offensive tackle Keagen Trost. He is viewed by some NFL draft analysts as a future starter, while some even suggest he could compete for a starting role in this year's training camp.

Still, it's all speculation for now. The LA Rams offense is loaded with weapons for Matthew Stafford in 2026. The key is protecting the girl-dad quarterback long enough to allow him to shred opposing defenses.

As always, thanks for reading.

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