Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay wasn’t happy talking about the possibility of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks being the final game of star quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career.
McVay seemed incredulous when he was asked if he expected Stafford to return to the team for the 2026 season.
“I mean, yeah, if he still wants to play,” McVay replied in his postgame press conference. “I mean, what the hell kind of question is that?”
However, McVay seemed a bit calmer when asked in a follow-up if he knew whether Stafford wants to play or not in 2026.
“You have to ask him,” McVay said. “We’ve been totally present. He’s the MVP of the league, and if he’s not, and I’ve got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that’s just different.”
But Stafford didn’t provide any clues on what might be next for him when he was asked to summarize the Rams’ 2025 season and if he was considering retirement.
“I can’t generalize six months of my life ten minutes after a loss,” Stafford told reporters. “So, I appreciate the guys in this locker room. It was a whole hell of a lot, everybody that helped me and helped our team be as successful as we were this year.
“That’s all I’ll answer for you.”
Stafford, who’ll turn 38 in the first week of February, has told people close to him that he currently plans on playing again in 2026, NFL Media reported Sunday. The veteran quarterback also believes he has plenty of football left, NFL Media added in its report.
Matthew Stafford watches nervously in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Stafford has dealt with uncertainty about his future over the last few years. Last offseason, Stafford publicly flirted with other teams as he sought a contract extension with the Rams. After speaking with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, Stafford agreed to a restructured contract to remain in Los Angeles.
That contract, though, only has one year remaining with a possible out following this season, meaning Stafford will almost certainly look for a new deal. If that’s the case, Stafford made a strong case to be paid like one of the top quarterbacks in the league this season. In addition to leading the Rams to the NFC Championship Game, Stafford led the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (47).
Stafford’s prolific passing numbers have him in line to likely win his first MVP of his career. He was named first-team All-Pro earlier in January, which is typically a precursor to winning MVP. He was also the MVP favorite when the regular season ended, which was also when voting for the award closed.
But if Sunday was Stafford’s final game, he went out with one of his best efforts. He threw for 374 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the loss.
