Matthew Stafford is in his 16th NFL season and fourth as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. At 36 years old, he is approaching the end of his career but still has plenty left in the tank.
Through five games, Stafford has thrown for 1,238 yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions. Those numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, but the Rams offense has been limited due to injuries to the likes of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
Stafford has not indicated when he plans to retire but shut down the possibility in each of the last two offseasons.
Stafford may already be thinking ahead, however, as he expressed interest in becoming a broadcaster after his playing career, via “The Morning After with Kelly Stafford and Hank” podcast:
“Yeah, I would love to. I think talking about the game, being in some version of that is an appealing thing to me. Wherever it is, it is, but I do think staying involved in the game of football is something I want to do. The biggest passion outside of my family is the game of football, and that’s a fun, unique way to stay involved in it while getting to watch, talk, and be around the game. And it was really cool to be around some of those great players that are now doing a great job talking about it.”
Stafford got his first taste of a potential broadcasting career during the Rams’ bye in Week 6 as he was a guest host on Fox’s pregame show.
He was asked about that after practice on Wednesday though and wasn’t quite as sure if he would get into it after his playing career.
“I don’t know. I had fun on Sunday. That’s a great group,” Stafford told reporters. “Those guys have a really good thing going, but I’m not too worried about it at the moment, to be honest with you.”
There have been many quarterbacks who transitioned into broadcasting after their playing career ended, including most notably Tom Brady, who began a role with Fox this year.
Stafford is one of the most insightful players in the game and could be a big asset to any network if he decides to become a broadcaster after he retires.
For now, Stafford is focused on leading the Rams back into contention. At 1-4, their chances of making the playoffs this season are bleak, but crazier things have happened and the team should start to see some of their injured players return.
Could the Rams trade Matthew Stafford?
If the Rams’ slide continues, there has been speculation among NFL insiders that the team could potentially trade Matthew Stafford before the Nov. 5 deadline.
The Rams could still get decent value for Stafford, but it would be nowhere near what they paid to get him three years ago.
If the Rams go this route, they would presumably turn to Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback.
