Even though the Los Angeles Rams came up short in the NFC Championship Game, there’s no denying that they had an exceptional season and quarterback Matthew Stafford was a big reason for that.
Going back to last offseason, it wasn’t clear that Stafford would even be returning to the Rams as they had a contract dispute. The Rams allowed Stafford to talk to other teams about a potential trade, although the sides eventually came to an agreement to continue their partnership in 2025.
Then in training camp, Stafford dealt with a back injury that kept him out of weeks of practice and made his status unclear for the regular season.
He was ready to roll in Week 1, however, and at the age of 37 wound up turning in the best season of his career. Stafford is the favorite to take home the NFL’s prestigous MVP award, playing in all 17 games for the Rams and leading the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46) while only throwing eight interceptions.
Stafford is still under contract with the Rams in 2026 for around $40 million but after 17 seasons, it’s logical for him to consider retirement, even though he is still playing at a high level.
After the Rams’ season came to an end, head coach Sean McVay made it clear that they want Stafford back if he wants to keep playing, via Mike Florio of NBC Sports:
“I mean, if he still wants to play,” McVay said. “What the hell kind of question is that?”
McVay added though that the decision will be up to Stafford and his family:
“You have to ask him,” McVay said. “We’ve been totally present. I know that if he wants to, he’s still playing at a pretty damn good clip. I mean, he’s the MVP of the league, and if he’s not — you know, I mean, I got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that’s just different.”
Even though Stafford is under contract, there likely will be some renegotiating with the Rams after the season he just had. If he wants to keep playing, the hope is that he and the Rams will quickly come to an agreement on a new deal to avoid the chaos of last offseason.
Stafford and McVay have won a lot of games together since the former came over in 2021, and the Rams should again be in the Super Bowl mix in 2026 if their quarterback chooses to return.
Rams’ Matthew Stafford to take time before deciding future
After the Rams’ loss in the NFC Championship Game, Stafford was asked if he will be back in 2026 and made it clear that he will take some time before deciding on his future.
