Matthew Stafford loses major sports award to NBA star
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 18: Matthew Stafford 9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on after a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Round playoff football game on January 18, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 18 NFC Divisional Round Rams at Bears EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260118062
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 18: Matthew Stafford 9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on after a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Round playoff football game on January 18, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 18 NFC Divisional Round Rams at Bears EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260118062
Even the best can miss opportunities, and Matthew Stafford did at the ESPY Best Athlete Award ceremony, where he lost the men’s ‘Best Athletes’ category award to the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
The event took place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on Wednesday, where athletes from major sports were nominated in various categories for honors recognizing their contributions to sports.
The Rams quarterback, Stafford, was nominated in the men’s ‘Best Athletes’ category with four other athletes, namely Argentine and Inter Miami soccer star Lionel Messi, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, and the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals Dec 7, 2025 Glendale, Arizona, USA Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 9 drops back to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Glendale State Farm Stadium Arizona USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20251207_mcd_su5_145
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals Dec 7, 2025 Glendale, Arizona, USA Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford 9 drops back to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Glendale State Farm Stadium Arizona USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20251207_mcd_su5_145
But it was not Stafford’s night. Instead, it belonged to Brunson.
The Knicks’ point guard Jalen Brunson not only won the Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player awards but also his team clinched the Best Team award.
However, it was still a win for Matthew Stafford, as after missing the chance to lay his hands on the Lombardi Trophy, he still won the nomination.
During the 2025 NFL season, Stafford gave some of the best performances of his career. Per Pro Football Reference, he appeared in all 17 games for the Rams, in which he threw for 4,707 yards and scored 46 TDs with a 65 CMP%.
He might have missed the opportunity to earn the ESPY Best Athlete Award, but he did earn a place in the top 10 QBs in the NFL.
Matthew Stafford earns spot among NFL's top 10 QBs
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford, was ranked No. 3 in ESPN’s “Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL quarterbacks for 2026” list compiled by Jeremy Fowler.
“Stafford's MVP campaign vaulted him into the top three in convincing fashion. Stafford earned an impressive 17% of the first-place votes,” Jeremy Fowler wrote. “He has not been a fixture in the top half of the voting since the inception of our top 10 lists in 2020…”
According to Fowler, Stafford earned 17% of the first-place votes because of his elite production in the last season.
Stafford threw for 46 touchdowns against just eight interceptions, becoming only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to post at least 45 touchdown passes with fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, joining Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
"Nobody played better than him last year, and it wasn't even close," an NFL head coach said.
According to the coaches, he plays rhythmic passing games where he trusts his receivers and anticipates the right move.
The addition of Davante Adams alongside Puka Nacua made the Rams' passing attack even more difficult to defend.
With the recent endorsements, Rams QB Matthew Stafford is locked in for the upcoming NFL training camp.
Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!
Written by
Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker