“He should have a gold jacket waiting on him” - Former NFL player believes Matthew Stafford belongs in the Hall of Fame 

Matthew Stafford's candidacy for the Hall of Fame has been a core conversation in the NFL community over the last week. When discussing players in the Hall of Fame, the number of their Super Bowl rings is one of the biggest talking points. Until this point, Stafford had none. Now, he has one. Is it enough to solidify him as a Hall of Famer?

The topic was discussed on Good Morning Football. During the discussion, co-host Nate Burleson, a long-time wide receiver and veteran of the NFL who has seen enough, said that in his mind, the quarterback has already ticked the boxes needed to get a bust in Canton.

"Matthew Stafford should have a gold jacket waiting on him when he's done playing," Burleson said. "I mean, just think about it. He's what, number 12 in yards and touchdowns? He'll probably end up in the top 10. He has a Super Bowl ring now. The respect that he has amongst his peers is there.

"Maybe not Richard Sherman, but I feel like what he has done in this league leading up to this point, and then now going and getting this Super Bowl. How can you question it? Oh, and not to mention the guy that he threw the ball to his entire career, Calvin Johnson, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. So if this isn’t a stamp of approval for him to make that elite club, you know, I don't know what is.”

How far can Matthew Stafford climb the leaderboard for career touchdown passes?

Los Angeles Rams v Houston Texans

To answer Burleson's question, the quarterback is indeed ranked 12th in NFL history in touchdown passes at 323, according to Pro Football Reference. He currently sits about 20 passes behind Fran Tarkenton, who has 342. Beyond that, Eli Manning has 366 career touchdowns.

Matt Ryan has 367 touchdowns and newly-retired Ben Roethlisberger has 418 touchdowns. Stafford has a nearly guaranteed chance to throw for more touchdowns than both and even break into the top-five.

He threw for 41 touchdowns in his first season with the Rams. Meaning, if Stafford plays about as well over the coming years as he did in 2021, he could break into the top five by the time he hits 40 years old. At 34 years old, he still has about five seasons before hitting 40. Meaning, if he can throw for about 35-40 touchdowns per season, he could add up to 200 more touchdowns to his total.

If this happens, he could pass Brett Favre (508) and potentially Aaron Rodgers (449 and counting) in career touchdown passes, entering the top five of all-time. Of course, it is a big ask for a quarterback who typically averaged about 20-30 touchdowns per season before switching teams. However, the Rams are that much better than the Lions, so anything is possible.

In the end, in passing up a few more players, he could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.