Will Matthew Stafford retire? Rams have million-dollar question for their future

The Los Angeles Rams' final possession in Sunday's 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks featured Matthew Stafford completing a 21-yard dart to Puka Nacua as the wide receiver attempted to fall out of bounds with roughly four seconds left on the clock and zero timeouts. Nacua's leg hit the turf in-bounds, however, and the game was over.

Stafford began that final drive on his own seven-yard line with 25 seconds and no way to stop the clock. It ended on Seattle's 49-yard line, in Hail Mary range, with Nacua roughly a foot away from getting out of bounds and setting up the miracle opportunity for L.A. That game probably ends in a Seahawks win either way, but Stafford put on a masterful display, and he was tearing up the NFL's No. 1 defense right 'til the bitter end.

Was this Matthew Stafford's last game with the Rams?

It's impossible to overstate how dominant Stafford was on Sunday, despite the loss. Seattle was the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense this season. Their pass rush was their superpower. Stafford stood tall in the pocket all evening, zipping passes through tight windows and only taking one sack despite plenty of pressure.

He completed 22-of-35 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. All of history tell us that L.A. should have won.

This was a brutal loss for Stafford and the Rams. Now, the future arrives unrelentingly, and folks are wondering if this was the last we've seen of the ex-Georgia Bulldog at the NFL level.

Stafford is 37 years old, with a lot of miles on the odometer. We know quarterbacks can play forever, but not everyone has the ambitions of Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. Stafford has danced around the topic of retirement before. He does not feel like the guy who will be signing one-year deals at age 42.

Back in December, however, Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop reported that Stafford definitely plans on playing football again in 2026.

"The handshake deal remains in place,” Bishop wrote (h/t Heavy). “Each year, Stafford and the Rams will do their own assessments. Never say never, but no one in his inner circle believes Stafford will retire after this season, even if he wins another championship and could retire, like Elway, completing the rarest sendoff in pro football—out on top."

Stafford appears to be echoing those sentiments behind closed doors.

Stafford can always reconsider after experiencing the rigors of another season and the disappointment of failed playoff run, but he is the frontrunner to win MVP right now. Nothing in Stafford's performance suggests that he's out of gas or incapable of making another run next season, especially with the roster L.A. has compiled around him.

So we should expect Stafford back on the field in 2026. Is he one hundred percent playing football for the Rams? On that front, his contract does leave a little bit of wiggle room on both sides.

How does Matthew Stafford's contract impact his future?

Stafford considered trade options last summer, but the Rams ultimately agreed to a two-year, $84 million extension with their franchise QB. Only $40 million was guaranteed at signing, however, with another $40 million guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year in 2026. That is March 15. So L.A. and Stafford have a few months to consider all their options and chart a new course.

The Giants and Raiders were among the teams linked to Stafford last offseason, and it felt like there was a real appetite to pay Stafford and pry him out of Los Angeles. At the end of the day, though, his relationship with Sean McVay feels unbreakable, especially after this season. The Rams clearly have work to do building up their defense, but Stafford will not find a better offensive supporting cast or playcaller elsewhere.

The Rams ought to be content taking the $48.3 million cap hit on the literal MVP (probable MVP...). But is Stafford willing to get feisty and demand more, even if it's just reworking his contract for next season? The highest QB salaries stretch into the $50 million-plus range. Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns in the regular season, then balled out in January. He has legs to stand on if he wants to reopen negotiations. Hell, maybe there is appetite for a couple years of stability. Plenty of NFL stars flirt with retirement, only to stick around longer than we expect. A two- or three-year extension is not out of the question.

And while such demands could force the Rams into an uncomfortable position, it's just hard to imagine McVay and that front office wanting anyone else besides Stafford under center when the 2026 season begins.

Should the Rams draft a quarterback to learn from Stafford?

The Los Angeles Rams are equipped with two first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, courtesy of last summer's dealings with Atlanta. Fresh off an appearance in the NFC title game, L.A. will select 13th and 29th. That gives them a unique opportunity to add franchise-changing talent at multiple postions of need.

That said, all eyes will be on the quarterback class — and whether or not this Rams front office sees a quarterback it likes enough to draft and stash behind Stafford. So often, the best path for QB development is a year or two in the shadows, learning from a master a la Jordan Love in Green Bay or, once upon a time, Tom Brady in New England.

Stafford has a lot to teach the next Rams quarterback, if he gets the chance to work with said quarterback. There should be no feelings of insecurity from Stafford's perspective. He has the starting job under lock and key at this point. But he also probably recognizes that he has a couple more years, tops. There's no reason he can't take a young QB under his wing.

This would almost be a no-brainer, especially with two first-round picks, if not for the relative weakness of this quarterback class. Aside from projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, who is well outside of Los Angeles' range at this point, there aren't a ton of QBs with first round grades. That's not say other quarterbacks won't be selected in the first round — teams tend to over-draft QBs based on the value of the position — but L.A.'s options will be limited.

The two biggest names on that front are Ole Miss senior Trinidad Chambliss and Alabama junior Ty Simpson. Both offer contrasting strengths and appeals. Chambliss is a bit older, with more collegiate experience, albeit mostly at the D-II level. He's a dual-threat gunner with big arm talent but concerns over size and pocket presence. Simpson is a more traditional pocket passer, but he only started for one season at Alabama, putting him on a list of less experienced QBs like Anthony Richardson and J.J. McCarthy, which could be cause for concern.

The Rams would quite possibly need to trade up for No. 29 (or back from. No. 13) to land either of those guys. FanSided's Cody Williams has Simpson going 16th and Chambliss going 21st in his latest mock draft.

Los Angeles could also target a second- or third-round quarterback, in the Saints-Tyler Shough mold, to grow more slowly behind Stafford. That might apply less immediate pressure on both Stafford and his successor. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Miami's Carson Beck and Clemson's Cade Klubnik are names to watch there. Vanderbilt star and Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia is also lurking as a potential home run swing for a brave front office.

Now is a good time for the Rams to install their Stafford succession plan, even if he has two-plus years left in the tank. Most teams aren't that patient with QB development anymore, but Sean McVay and this Rams offense provide a unique learning environment for a young signal-caller. That said, if the Rams want to wait for a more talent-rich QB class in 2027, that wouldn't be the worst idea either.

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