Matthew Stafford Is Common Thread to Three of NFL’s Most Esteemed Receiving Records

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback always has known how to get the football to his standout wide receivers.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to take part in what could be the most emotional game of his career. He’ll lead his team against the Detroit Lions—his former team—on Sunday in the wild-card round in what will be nothing short of an epic homecoming for the 35-year-old at Ford Field. 

Stafford was selected by the Lions with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft, and ever since then, he has garnered a reputation for being one of the best gunslingers in the league—so much so that he was the quarterback behind three of the greatest receiving seasons in NFL history.

With Stafford poised to face his previous team, let’s look back and admire his longstanding tradition of getting his star teammates the ball again and again. 

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford greets Calvin Johnson after a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 18, 2012 :: Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/USA TODAY Network

Calvin Johnson: Single-Season Receiving Record, 2012

Stafford fed all-time great wide receiver Calvin Johnson during the 2012 season—the best campaign ever by an NFL wideout. Johnson caught 122 passes for a record 1,964 receiving yards during the campaign, and his all-time mark still stands to this day. It’s all the more impressive because he set it in 16 games before the NFL added another regular-season matchup to the schedule. 

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford celebrate after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.  :: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Cooper Kupp: Triple Crown, 2021

Stafford wasted no time when Detroit traded him to Los Angeles in 2021. In his first season there, he led the Rams to a Super Bowl win in large part thanks to Cooper Kupp’s miraculous season. Kupp led the NFL in catches (145), touchdown catches (16) and receiving yards (1,947), coming up just shy of Johnson’s single-season record. 

Kupp is just the 12th player to ever win the receiving triple crown, and he capped off the season with a Super Bowl MVP in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles with quarterback Matthew Stafford on Oct. 8, 2023 :: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

Puka Nacua: Rookie Record for Receiving Yards, Touchdowns, 2023

First-year sensation Puka Nacua made the best of 2023 when he broke the record for most receiving yards (1,486) and receptions (105) by a player in his rookie season. Stafford, 35, has proven that he’s still got plenty of gunslinger left in him.