Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford declined to confirm his plans regarding his future following the club’s 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in this past Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
Shortly after, a report suggested that Stafford hadn’t yet made a final decision regarding whether or not he would retire this offseason.
During this week’s edition of the “Let’s Go!” SiriusXM show and podcast, Stafford didn’t deny that he could soon call time on his playing career.
What will impact Matthew Stafford’s decision regarding 2026 season?
“It’ll be a lot that goes into it,” Stafford said about making a call about his future, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It’s a physical, a mental and emotional decision, a personal and a family decision as well. So, we’ll figure all that kind of stuff out with some time.”
Last winter, Stafford flirted with accepting a trade to either the New York Giants or the Las Vegas Raiders before he ultimately took less money to stay with the Rams through this season. Shortly after the Rams’ campaign ended via the loss to Seattle, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay made it clear he wants Stafford to remain the club’s QB1 “if he still wants to play.”
Stafford is reportedly due to make roughly $40M on the final season of his current contract. Theoretically, the Rams could make Stafford happy about returning for another year by giving him a pay raise before he turns 38 years old on Feb. 7.
Matthew Stafford ready to make Rams wait on final decision
“I know I had a ton of fun playing football this season and had so much fun playing for the Rams,” Stafford told legendary broadcaster Jim Gray. “So when I’m ready to figure that out, I’ll be ready to figure that out. That moment isn’t right now. I have so much more time, I feel like, to reflect on just the people and the season that we just had. I want to appreciate that and give it the time that it deserves before I start thinking personally about what’s next for me and my family.”
It’s unknown how long the Rams will be willing to wait for Stafford. History suggests he only wants to play for the NFC West club before he rides off into the sunset of retirement. That said, it sounds like there is at least a chance that he could soon retire as the reigning NFL MVP.