Getting rid of the football before it becomes a sack is one of the least appreciated skills a quarterback can have. Fortunately for the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford has shown to be one of the best in the NFL at doing just that — and landed among one of the best quarterbacks all-time.
NFL analyst Ryan Paganetti plotted projected 2026 starting quarterbacks’ early-down sack rate against early-down throwaway rate, using data from 2022-2025 (regular season and playoffs). He added Tom Brady’s final 10 seasons as the historical measuring stick.
Brady, unsurprisingly, sits at the bottom of the sack-rate scale — lower than every other quarterback on the board, a testament to the pocket awareness and quick decision-making that defined the back half of his career. But Stafford isn’t far behind. He landed next to Bills quarterback Josh Allen within shouting distance of Brady’s territory, both comfortably inside the green zone that denotes a better-than-average sack rate.
Early down sacks are more of a QB stat than people realize.
Getting the ball out on time and knowing when to throw it away prevents drive stalling sacks. Brady’s sack rate over his final 10 seasons was lower than every QB here.
Madden 99 Club QBs Josh Allen and Matt Stafford… pic.twitter.com/FEz1N0VC03
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) July 28, 2026
For a Rams team that just spent the offseason loading up on defensive talent around him, Stafford’s ability to protect himself and keep the offense on schedule matters as much as ever.
At 38 and coming off an MVP-caliber, league-leading season in yards and touchdowns, Stafford pairing that vertical aggression with Brady-like pocket discipline is a big part of what’s kept Los Angeles’ offense humming. And, according to these numbers, it’s a skill that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford in rare company with Tom Brady in sack avoidance
