Matthew Stafford announced that he is returning to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season, which many believe could be his final year as a player.
Stafford, who recently turned 38, is set to play in his 18th NFL season, making him one of the longest-tenured players in the league.
He has also been more thoughtful about his future in recent years, taking some time to discuss plans with his family before deciding to come back to the Rams.
While the consensus is that Stafford will retire after the 2026 season, head coach Sean McVay would not be surprised if he chooses to extend his career with the team, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Sean McVay said the Rams do think about life after Matthew Stafford, though “it wouldn’t shock me if he played more than one year.”
McVay said Rams have discussed with Stafford a contract restructure which could add additional years, but conversations have been “a lot smoother…
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) March 30, 2026
Stafford has shown that he can still play at an elite level, so it will simply come down to how much longer he wants to put the pads on. Stafford is coming off his best season yet, which saw him take home NFL MVP honors for the first time in his career. He led the Rams to a 12-5 record, throwing for a league-best 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.
Stafford is set to earn $40 million next season, but he will likely ask for another raise, which would require L.A. restructuring his contract.
That’s an easy compromise for a Rams squad that has Super Bowl expectations, and with Stafford back at the helm, they feel they have as good of a chance as any team.
Rams’ Puka Nacua checks into rehab facility
Rams star Puka Nacua has been in the headlines for some wrong reasons the last few months, putting his future into question.
Nacua is arguably the best receiver in the league and is due for a massive extension this offseason, but the Rams are not going to do that if he is misbehaving and getting into trouble off the field.
It seems that Nacua realizes he has gone too far as his attorney revealed that the wide receiver recently checked into a Malibu rehab facility to get right.
Nacua’s attorney released a statement explaining the plan, which includes being ready to go for organized team activities later this offseason.