Matthew Stafford could join Drew Brees and Tom Brady in elite company Week 1

If you play long enough, you’re bound to see and do many newsworthy and arduous accomplishments. So it goes for Los Angeles Rams starting veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. Sometimes, those achievements come at a quicker pace because the player is elite. Stafford has played 16 NFL seasons — just four of them with the Rams — and yet he already ranks sixth on the franchise’s All-Time Career Passing Leaders list. If he throws for 3,472 yards this year, he’ll move past Jared Goff into fourth place.

In those four seasons in Horns, the 37-year-old has racked up 14,700 passing yards, 95 touchdowns, and just 44 interceptions. While his NFL shelf life may be uncertain, he still gives this team its best shot to win games, contend in the postseason, and perhaps even bring home Super Bowl LX.

But big mountains of success don’t come easily. Nor is it a straight climb to the top. In Stafford’s case, the sustained success he’s earned comes down to consistency, showing up, dotting the i’s, and crossing the t’s. For a veteran quarterback, that starts with simply suiting up for Week 1. By doing so, he could find himself in the company of NFL legends Drew Brees and Tom Brady. That’s a pretty selective group.

Matthew Stafford could join Drew Brees and Tom Brady with one more strong Week 1

The NFL measures almost everything a quarterback does. But it takes a rare breed to step into Week 1 and shine like a star from the jump. Opening games are awkward. There’s no rhythm, no continuity, no momentum. Teams just suit up, take the field, and hope all the practices and chemistry come together under the bright lights.

With just 291 passing yards against the Houston Texans in the opener, Stafford will eclipse 5,000 career passing yards in season-opening games. That would place him in an exclusive club alongside Drew Brees (5,566) and Tom Brady (5,523), the only quarterbacks in league history to surpass that mark in Week 1 performances.

Yes, there is plenty of uncertainty over the future of the veteran quarterback. And yes, the team hopes that the surge of health and stacking training days are a sign of his durability to tough out another 17-game season.

This roster is deep, even under center. If injuries strike, veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to step in. Stetson Bennett also showed enough in the preseason to calm some nerves. But they’re backups for a reason. This season is about Matthew Stafford. And come Week 1, he’ll be under center against the Texans.

As always, thanks for reading.

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