Matthew Stafford Says First 6,000-Yard Season By QB Coming Soon

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is throwing a wild prediction out there as fans prepare to delve back into the amusement of NFL football. Stafford boldly stood by the idea that the NFL will finally see 6,000 passing yards from a quarterback in a season sooner than we think.

“I don’t even want to think about that number," admitted Stafford, per RamsWire. "That’s crazy. I’m sure somebody will. I don’t know who led the league in passing last year, but I bet it’ll happen.”

The record-setting figure would first need to eclipse Peyton Manning's single-season record of 5,477 passing yards from 2013.

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The expanded regular season — 17 games instead of 16 — obviously makes Stafford's prediction more likely to come true, and a 6,000-yard passer would only need to average roughly 10 more yards passing per game than Manning threw when he set the record (342.31 YPG) in order to cross the mark.

Drew Brees is second on the list of most passing yards in a season, trailing the record by a single yard (5,476). Last year's league leader in passing yards was Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, who threw for a total of 4,823 yards. Stafford threw for 4,084 in 2020, 12th among all participating quarterbacks.

Will this record setter be Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Josh Allen, or an unforeseen candidate like Justin Herbert?

Though he didn't nominate himself to be the potential record-breaking player, Stafford — one of twelve players to pass for over 5,000 yards in a season — would be remiss not to consider his own chances at achieving the milestone. Most eyes probably land on Kansas City phenom Patrick Mahomes to reach that mark first though.

A new arsenal of skill players in Los Angeles and the loss of running back Cam Akers may put Stafford in position to sling his way to 6,000. Throughout OTAs and training camp, head coach Sean McVay has continually heaped praise on Stafford for his adept comprehension of the playbook and flashes of chemistry with his new receivers, including slot weapon Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and rookie Tutu Atwell, all of whom should challenge opposing secondaries in the NFC West.

With an elite defense and higher expectations for the offense now that they've swapped QBs with Detroit, the Rams appear ready to take the NFC West title in 2021-2022. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Rams (+195) as the runner-ups in their division once again, making them one of the hottest picks going into the new NFL season.

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Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela