Matthew Stafford just kicked off 2025 by doing what almost no QB ever has

The NFL is back in full force, and a full slate of games filled the Week 1 schedule and NFL homes worldwide. For the Los Angeles Rams, victory in Week 1 remains as sweet as ever. But it’s not a familiar feeling, as their last opening win came in 2023 against the Seattle Seahawks. Even then, they started that season 1-2. The Rams now have a chance to open 2-0 for the first time since 2021.

Sunday’s game served as a proving ground for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was working back from a nagging back injury that limited him during the offseason. For a 37-year-old, any injury rings alarms. Older players simply don’t heal as quickly or as completely as they once did. So fans were stunned when a quarterback sneak was called. It didn’t score, but the message was loud and clear: Stafford is back.

This was not a phenomenal win for the team. There were plenty of early-season mistakes that will guide upcoming practices. There were heroes throughout, but the Rams leaned on physical play, a steel-hard mindset, and true grit to pull off the win. This was about WR Puka Nacua’s resiliency, but it was also a reminder of why their veteran quarterback is so important to this offense.

Matthew Stafford hits 60K career passing yards in Week 1

Seventeen years is a long time to stand in the pocket as an NFL quarterback. But it leads to great things, like throwing for more than 60,000 career passing yards. By doing so, Stafford joins a select group of just 10 NFL quarterbacks in league history to reach that mark. Even better, he tied former Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan as the second-fastest player to do it. Both quarterbacks hit the milestone in 223 games:

Only New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees accomplished that feat in fewer games, 215, to be exact. In terms of the franchise’s all-time career passing leaders, Stafford remains in sixth place (14,945 yards), trailing Norm Van Brocklin (16,114). By season’s end, he’s almost certain to overtake Van Brocklin for fifth.

While he didn’t lead the Rams to a high-scoring performance, Stafford completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions against one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL.

There are plenty of items on the punch list heading into Week 2. But it’s worth pausing to appreciate the significance of this once-in-a-lifetime moment for Stafford and his family.

The postgame celebration made it clear this team knows there’s still work to do. They didn’t light up the scoreboard or rack up sacks, but the win felt like a continuation of how they closed out the 2024 season. With the Rams opening at 1-0, there’s a long road ahead—but winning makes the work feel much lighter.

As always, thanks for reading.

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