After Sunday’s NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks, Rams coach Sean McVay was asked a direct question about his quarterback.
“Do you expect Matthew Stafford to be back next season?”
“I mean, if he still wants to play,” McVay said. “What the hell kind of question is that?”
He seemed more incredulous than upset by the question. McVay then became pragmatic.
“You have to ask him,” McVay said. “We’ve been totally present. I know that if he wants to, he’s still playing at a pretty damn good clip. I mean, he’s the MVP of the league, and if he’s not — you know, I mean, I got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that’s just different.”
Stafford, who turns 38 next month, was separately asked whether he’ll return. He didn’t say no. He also didn’t say yes.
“I can’t generalize six months of my life ten minutes after a loss,” Stafford said.
Stafford is due to make $40 million next year, the final season of his current deal. The Rams and Stafford have been operating on a year-to-year arrangement; if both sides decide to give it another year, he’ll surely deserve a significant raise.
Last year, things got dicey. Stafford received permission to explore a trade. He ultimately decided to stay put, getting more from the Rams but not as much as he could have gotten elsewhere.
This year, they may be doing the dance again. The challenge will be to convince teams that he’s serious about leaving, and that it’s not simply an effort to get the best possible deal from the Rams for 2026, and perhaps beyond.
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