The more context that gets added to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams’ standout 2025 season, the more it becomes clear how special it was. In addition to their counting numbers, many of which led the NFL, the Rams set records along the way.
They will face a daunting challenge to reach and, they hope, surpass the heights they achieved last season.
However, the Rams’ ability to adapt also suggests a more diverse approach is possible.
Matthew Stafford Among NFL’s ‘Comeback Kings’
GettyMatthew Stafford stepped up when the Los Angeles Rams needed him in 2025.
Stafford led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns during the regular season, and he was at his best when the Rams needed him the most. He threw 25 of his 46 TD passes in the second half and tossed 14 TDs while trailing in games last season.
He posted a 99-2-0 line when trailing with fewer than four minutes on the clock.
Per Sharp Football Analysis’ Warren Sharp in a post on X on July 20, Stafford also led the league in EPA per dropback with a plus-0.45 mark.
Stafford expressed how much his body felt good–which is no small claim after a back injury nealy derailed his MVP-winning 2025 season–and that he received advice about playing into his 40s, including from Drew Brees, who suggested the best is yet to come.
The Rams bolstered their defense with trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie this offseason. That should reduce the time Stafford spends in comeback mode even further.
That could allow him to remain fresher throughout the year, and certainty reduces exposure.
Rams Put Up Record-Setting Numbers in 2025
GettySean McVay and Matthew Stafford had the Los Angeles Rams’ offense at the top of the NFL last season.
The Rams’ mid-season transition to a team that primarily utilized three-receiver sets to one that was more tight end-heavy helped Stafford and Co. reach the NFC Championship Game.
It was part of a movement that swept across the NFL in 2025 and continued into the 2026 draft.
Sharp noted that “a quarter of the league’s pass plays last season had two or more tight ends on the field, the highest rate in the 2000s,” in an article on July 13. “Five teams ran 100-plus plays with three or more tight ends on the field, and another (Chicago) was at 99.”
According to Sharp, the Rams set a new league record with 331 plays using three tight ends. That was 186 more than the second-place team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sharp also noted that LA averaged 2.1 yards per play with three-plus TEs than the league did.
Rams Set to Mix and Match at Wide Receiver
GettyTerrance Ferguson could buy time for the Los Angeles Rams’ young wide receivers.
The biggest question the Rams have faced is who will be the third option for Stafford at wide receiver behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Both of the Rams’ star wideouts missed at least one game last season, forcing head coach Sean McVay to lean on his tight ends.
LA is expected to use second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson as a de facto option.
But the Rams are also equipped with a diverse set of complementary options. Jordan Whittington is a strong blocker. Xavier Smith took on a bigger workload last season.
The Rams also have recent draft picks Konata Mumpfield and CJ Daniels. They can continue to develop as the season plays out. That would allow the Rams greater flexibility to go between 11- and 13-personnel around Stafford.
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