Matthew Stafford to the Hall of Fame? Not so fast, says ESPN’s Mina Kimes
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams just put together a great 2021 season, culminating in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.
Now, the debate has begun in earnest — is the former Georgia star and No. 1 overall pick from the 2009 NFL Draft worthy of a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
On ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday morning, analyst Mina Kimes explained why she doesn’t think Stafford is worthy of a bust in Canton, Ohio, just yet:
Matthew Stafford just had a fantastic season. But I agree with @RSherman_25: his body of work isn’t Hall of Fame-worthy…yet. pic.twitter.com/UKpZaKBOxt
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 15, 2022
“I do not,” Kimes replies when asked if she thinks Stafford is worthy of the Hall of Fame. “Right now, I do not. … Look, Matthew Stafford just had a hell of a postseason, a hell of a season, and deserves a lot of credit for proving his critics wrong. But, I think we need to pump the brakes a little bit on going right from the Super Bowl to Canton. My opinion is that the Hall of Fame, the bar that (Richard) Sherman refers to is a player that has been the best or among the best at his position, ideally for some period of time.
“Matthew Stafford’s played 12 seasons in the NFL. In those 12 seasons, he’s been in 1 Pro Bowl, never been an All-Pro, he has finished top 5 in passer rating once and top 5 in touchdowns 3 times. … Matthew Stafford still has a chance to get in if he can continue to play at a high level longer and gets to more Super Bowls, absolutely. But, for right now, can’t we just enjoy what he’s accomplished without putting him in a gold jacket?”
Stafford only recently turned 34 years old. So, he could still theoretically play for several more years. We’ll see if he does enough to convince Kimes, Sherman and others that he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
