John Matthew Stafford is an NFL quarterback known for being the fastest player to reach 40,000 passing yards. After playing college football at Georgia, he was drafted first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft. He now plays for the Los Angeles Rams and recently signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the team.
Who Is Matthew Stafford? All About His Early Career
John Matthew Stafford is an NFL quarterback known for being the fastest player to reach 40,000 passing yards. After playing college football at Georgia, the Detroit Lions drafted him first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He now plays for the Los Angeles Rams and recently signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the team.
Stafford began his college career at the University of Georgia in January 2006, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Bulldogs since Quincy Carter in 1998. During his three seasons, he helped Georgia win the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and the 2009 Capital One Bowl. Even in a tough loss against Georgia Tech, Stafford showed his skill by completing 24 of 39 passes for 407 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Stafford was the Detroit Lions’ first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a six-year contract worth $78 million, making him the highest-paid rookie at the time. Other notable players from the 2009 draft class include Mark Sanchez (New York Jets), Jason Smith (St. Louis Rams), and Tyson Jackson (Kansas City Chiefs).
During his rookie season, Stafford became the first Lions rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since Greg Landry in 1968. He threw his first career touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson against the Minnesota Vikings and recorded his first NFL victory against the Washington Redskins. He made history as the youngest quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game against the Cleveland Browns, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week and Pepsi Rookie of the Week.
Matthew Stafford’s Later NFL Career
After 11 seasons with the Lions, Stafford went Los Angeles Rams on March 18, 2021, in exchange for Jared Goff. In March 2022, he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Rams. In his first season with the Rams, Stafford led the team to victory in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, earning a spot in Super Bowl VI. However, during the 2022 season, he suffered a spinal cord injury against the Seattle Seahawks, leading to his placement on injured reserve in December.
