ESPN Monday Night Football color commentator Troy Aikman joined the Monday Night Countdown crew ahead of the Week 17 tilt between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
On the topic of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Rams head coach Sean McVay, Aikman explained how significant an organization and a coaching staff are to quarterback development and success.
“Sean McVay is another one of those great offensive minds, and for Matthew Stafford to get the opportunity to play within that scheme, good for him,” Aikman said. “There’s a lot of quarterbacks in this league, and over the history of this league, that never got that opportunity to play for someone like Sean or some of the others that are so talented.”
“There’s a smile on your face when you’re saying that,” Monday Night Countdown host Scott Van Pelt noted.
Troy Aikman: “I think there’s been a lot of quarterbacks that have been drafted high who have left the game & have been labeled a bust… I think it’s unfair… I do feel that organizations & coaching has failed quarterbacks more than quarterbacks have failed organizations.” pic.twitter.com/gcZM38pXl1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 30, 2025
“I say it from experience,” Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, explained. “Because Norv Turner came in my third year in the league. Totally turned our offense around, turned my career around. Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith would tell you the same thing.”
“I think there’s been a lot of quarterbacks that have been drafted high who have left the game and have been labeled a bust,” the Hall of Famer continued. “And I think it’s unfair. Because I do feel that organizations and coaching has failed quarterbacks more than quarterbacks have failed organizations. I’ve been there. I’ve been around the best of the best. And I’ve been around others that aren’t as good.”
Stafford was the No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in 2009 and remained with the organization through 2020. He’s since won a Super Bowl playing with McVay and the Rams, and he’s currently the NFL MVP favorite, with 40 touchdown passes, five interceptions, a 112.1 passer rating, and 4,179 passing yards this season entering Monday night.
Although Matthew Stafford put up some great numbers in Detroit, his career changed once he joined the Rams. As Troy Aikman reminded us, even the best quarterbacks need some help to win in the NFL.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.