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Hall of Fame debates have taken over NFL Twitter now that Matthew Stafford has a Super Bowl to his name. Some fans are declaring him destined for Canton now that he finally has a title to his name. Others are telling everyone to pump the brakes.
Saying Stafford belongs in the Hall of Fame brings up comparisons to others with similar resumes. Plenty of fans brought up Matt Ryan in the discussion, and for good reason. His resume appears to be even better than that of Stafford.
Ryan has a better record at 120-102 compared to the 86-95-1 mark of the current Los Angeles Rams starter. The 36-year-old Falcons quarterback also has an MVP honor to his name and four Pro Bowls. Stafford's only individual accomplishment, other than the Super Bowl, is a single Pro Bowl nod.
So which of the two is more likely to be enshrined in Canton one day?
A tough case between Matt Stafford and Matt Ryan
If we are simply going off stats then Ryan should have a better case. The only thing eluding him is a Super Bowl title. Unfortunately, he got as close as one could get to winning it all back during the 2016 season.
Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons fell to the New England Patriots after blowing a 28-3 lead in what has become the most famous, and infamous, comeback in modern NFL history. To his credit, the Falcons signal-caller went 17/23 for 284 yards and two touchdowns in the game. The Atlanta defense could just not hold off Tom Brady and the Patriots offense long enough.
Then there is Stafford and his Super Bowl title. Yes, his record is worse, but he spent over a decade with the lowly Detroit Lions. As soon as he left he won a Super Bowl in Los Angeles. He is also responsible for both Calvin Johnson and Cooper Kupp putting up legendary seasons with him throwing the football to them.
At this point the debate is a close one, yet Stafford gets the edge at the moment because of his Super Bowl win. Adding another to his resume before retirement should make him a lock.
As for Ryan, he may end up being a highly successful player who only goes down in Falcons history. Fans will never forget his achievements, but he is missing an iconic moment that sets him apart in league history.
Winning a Super Bowl is the easiest way for any quarterback to set themselves apart in the Canton conversation. Unfortunately, Ryan was not able to will his team to a win against New England. Just one more touchdown pass could have made the difference to get him a gold jacket one day in the future.
One important caveat of this debate is that neither quarterback is headed for retirement. A few more surprising years from the two could have each of them on a path to enshrinement.
