Matthew Stafford could have more passing yards if not for drops

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford still leads the NFL in passing touchdowns, but he dropped to No. 2 in passing yards this season. Even still, he's an MVP candidate and on track for his best season since Stafford and the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021.

Oddly enough, though, Stafford could have even more passing yards if not for drops. Stafford actually ranks second in the league in passing yards lost due to drops this year, with 363 — right behind Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

Most pass yards lost due to drops this season, per @NextGenStats :

1. Caleb Williams - 370
2. Matthew Stafford - 363
3. Trevor Lawrence - 320
4. Dak Prescott - 319
5. Bo Nix - 313
6. Jordan Love - 287
7. Justin Herbert - 266
8. Cam Ward - 256 https://t.co/ltZMS2YmmN— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) December 30, 2025

Rams receivers rank tied for eighth in drops with 24, led by Davante Adams (five) and Puka Nacua (four). Stafford also has 2,312 fewer completed air yards than intended air yards, but it's unclear how many of those are due to drops versus overthrows or incorrect routes.

This is not an indictment of Stafford or his receivers. Drops are part of the game and can happen for a number of reasons. However, it is interesting that Stafford is playing an MVP-caliber season despite losing out on a lot of yardage from dropped passes this year.

The hope is that the Rams clean this up before the playoffs so they don't leave any yards on the field when it matters the most.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford could have more passing yards if not for drops