Matthew Stafford’s rough opener gave the Seahawks a glimpse of exactly what they’re hoping for - and what they’re probably bracing against.
Seattle walked out of Week 1 with a win, even after losing Sam Darnold to injury, while the Los Angeles Rams came away looking nothing like the team plenty of people expected. Stafford was at the center of that disappointment, and the performance was flat-out ineffective. He had trouble fitting throws into tight spaces, missed on some uncharacteristic underthrows, and made errors even when the pocket wasn’t closing in on him.
It was the kind of start that naturally pushes the conversation toward age, because Stafford is 38 and has dealt with injuries recently. That puts him in the same broad conversation as quarterbacks whose age-38 seasons went very different directions.
Some stayed elite. Others slid fast.
The list tells the story. Peyton Manning’s 2014 season with the Denver Broncos brought 4,727 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 101.5 rating, plus a Pro Bowl nod.
Tom Brady’s 2015 year with the New England Patriots produced 4,770 yards, 36 touchdowns, seven picks and a 102.2 rating, also earning a Pro Bowl selection. Aaron Rodgers’ 2021 campaign with the Green Bay Packers was even sharper in efficiency, with 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 122.5 rating - then a record - along with MVP, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Drew Brees posted 4,338 yards, 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 103.9 rating in 2017 for the New Orleans Saints, while also making the Pro Bowl and leading the league in completion percentage at 72.0. On the other side of the ledger, Ben Roethlisberger’s 2020 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended at 3,803 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 94.1 rating.
Philip Rivers’ 2020 run with the Indianapolis Colts brought 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 97.0 rating. Eli Manning’s 2019 season with the New York Giants lasted just four games, with 1,042 yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions and an 82.6 rating.
That’s the split Stafford now lives inside. There are quarterbacks who keep rolling at a high level, and there are quarterbacks whose bodies and mileage start to show up all at once.
Stafford is a pocket passer, just like the names in that group, so mobility isn’t really the issue. The question is simpler than that: which version shows up for Sean McVay?
The first glimpse leaned hard toward the Eli Manning side of the ledger. Stafford looked statue-still in the pocket and finished 15 of 25 for 155 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. It was only one game, but it was enough to make the Seahawks hope it means something bigger.
That hope isn’t random. Stafford has been one of the best passers of his era, and he’s been a thorn in Seattle’s side in recent years, including a 374-yard, three-touchdown showing in the 2025 NFC Championship Game.
The Rams are trying to take the Seahawks’ crown, so if one of their biggest strengths turns into a weakness, that would hand Mike Macdonald’s team a major opening. But if Stafford rebounds and stacks together another MVP-level season, there’s precedent for that too. Seattle will need to be ready for whichever version of the former No. 1 pick shows up next.
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Seahawks Got An Early Jadarian Price Answer Fans Needed
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Price was part of a rookie class that included some encouraging moments elsewhere, from Jeremiyah Love scoring for the Cardinals to Caleb Downs coming up with a notable defensive play for the Cowboys. For Seattle, the bigger question now is how much trust the Seahawks are willing to place in Price after that first outing, especially as they sort through how rookies like Carnell Tate, Sonny Styles, and Arvell Reese fit into the broader Week 1 picture. [Read more 🡒]