Tom Brady Crowns Matthew Stafford Over 31 NFL QBs After Making Offseason Move to Sign Him

Imagine a quarterback whose mastery isn’t just measured by rocket arm or highlight throws, but by the sharp game of mental chess played before the snap. For Tom Brady, that player is Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. Already intrigued by the signal-caller, evident from Brady’s supposed efforts to lure him to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason, the Patriots legend’s latest confession only added to the discourse around Stafford’s elite talent.

During the latest episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on September 11, the host directly asked Brady, “Is there a quarterback right now in the league that you look at pre- snap, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I can see it. I can see he’s operating at a different level’? Is there one or two guys…that you look [at] and you can tell from head movement, you can tell from the direction, that you can tell pre-snap are elite?” Brady’s answer was immediate: “Well, Matt Stafford just jumps to the top of my mind.” 

Elaborating more on Stafford’s wizardry, the NFL player-turned-analyst then detailed, “When you see someone do these no-look passes like he did last week, he knows where the defense is going to be aligned…He sees a certain coverage. He knows the high, low combination that’s going to work against that coverage. So, he stares at the low defender, draws the coverage to the low defender, and then throws it to the higher receiver in the combination. So that is an elite level of play and his ability to recognize defenses and then make those types of throws….he’s the one. And again, he’s a veteran quarterback. He’s played a lot of football.”

Stafford’s mastery underpins the Rams’ offense, enabling complex schemes to thrive. And it contrasted sharply with a trend Brady further highlighted in the conversation: “There’s a lot more, I would say, physical development happening at a younger age. But less, I would say, mental, emotional development from quarterbacks.” Interestingly, Stafford’s positive reputation isn’t just confined to verbal affirmations. Back in September 2024, he was voted the second-smartest quarterback in the league behind Aaron Rodgers in a FOX Sports poll of NFL QBs. 12 of the 38 quarterbacks named him as the sharpest in the game, lauding his ability to diagnose defenses as an extension of Sean McVay’s staff. And, not just that. Even the numbers speak for themselves.

Notably, just earlier this month against the Houston Texans, Stafford became the tenth NFL player in history to total a staggering 60,000 passing yards—over 45,000 yards with the Detroit Lions and close to 15,000 yards with the Rams. He achieved the feat in 223 games, tying former Atlanta Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan for second place, while trailing Drew Brees (215 games). No wonder Tom Brady was almost hell-bent on getting him to the Las Vegas Raiders.

As a minority owner of the Raiders eager to upgrade under center, Brady actively tried recruiting Stafford. He reportedly invited Stafford to his Montana home—a fact that has since been denied by many insiders—spending ski days together while discussing a potential Raiders future. Amid the team coming off a 4-13 season and finishing last in their division, they sought an instant veteran upgrade, even proposing a lucrative two-year, $90-100 million package. While Stafford ultimately chose loyalty, the pursuit still illuminates the signal-caller’s value as a proven star. So, expectedly, as the 37-year-old continues to bring his football IQ to the field, Brady will surely be watching, taking notes, and perhaps planning another recruitment drive next offseason?