Earlier this week I asked whether the 2026 Los Angeles Rams deserved comparisons to the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles “Dream Team”.

What is certain about the premise of this question is that the Rams are a very good team. Probably the best of the Sean McVay era and possibly the most talented team on paper in franchise history. The same could be said, to an extent, about the 2021 Rams squad that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium.

But if Matthew Stafford wins both of his Super Bowls in Los Angeles supported by a “super team”, what does this say about his career record in comparison to the greats of all time at the quarterback position?

Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady willed the Chiefs and Patriots, respectively, to multiple championships despite being a part of flawed rosters. Nick Foles, Sam Darnold, Jalen Hurts needed more help—inversely—to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

If the Rams again win the Super Bowl this season, one cannot help themselves to wonder whether it was a coincidence that Stafford’s two championships came in “all-in” eras versus when the team was considered more of a work in progress between 2022 and 2025.

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Rams Top 10 Players: 2021 vs 2026

2021 Championship Roster

Odell Beckham Jr.

Going “all-in” creates super teams

Following LA’s 2021 trade for Stafford, any outcome for the next season would have been a failure if the result was anything other than a championship. The same expectations hold true again in 2026.

To Stafford’s credit, he’s certainly good enough to keep the train on the tracks and not deter talented rosters from reaching their potential. Not all quarterbacks can say this, like Jimmy Garoppolo on the 2023 49ers.

But one other certainty is that it’s not a positive mark the Rams came up short of a Super Bowl in all other seasons where they did not maximize single year potential by giving up draft resources in future years. LA had been fairly reserved in its roster construction before this offseason. They’ve built through the draft and signed mid-tier free agents, avoiding costly investments that limit flexibility over time.

After coming up just short in the NFC Championship game and losing to the eventual champion Eagles the year before, the Rams knew they needed yet another shot in the arm.

The difficult truth is that Stafford and the Rams held the ball and their own destiny in both of these playoff elimination matchups and came up short. LA failed to score on two plays in the red zone against Jalen Carter and the Eagles. Stafford couldn’t connect on the final two plays intended for rookie receivers this past season versus the Seahawks. Scoring on these possessions does not necessarily guarantee victories; however, they would have been fairly insurmountable for the opposition.

How will critics weigh another championship?

I’ll give you a few statements that may be contrarian or critical of Stafford but rooted in objectivity. We can discuss in the comments whether you disagree or find them fair.