Matthew Stafford Shuts Down Retirement Questions After Rams' NFC Championship Loss

After the Rams lost to the Seahawks 31–27 in the NFC championship to miss out on their chance of reaching the Super Bowl, reporters began asking Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay if the 37-year-old quarterback had made a decision about retirement this offseason.

Understandably, Stafford didn’t have an answer right after the loss. But, it sounds like retirement is something he may be considering over the next few months.

“I can't generalize six months of my life 10 minutes after a loss,” Stafford said. “So I appreciate the guys in this locker room a whole hell of a lot. Everybody that helped me and helped our team be the success that we were this year. And that's all I'll answer for you.”

McVay had a more fiery response when asked about Stafford’s potential retirement.

“Yeah, I mean if he still wants to play, what the hell kind of question is that?”

If Stafford chooses to retire, he would essentially be going out on top. He leads the league’s odds to win the MVP award after leading in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). Based on his achievements this season, it also seems like Stafford has more football left in him to play and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Stafford is under contract through the 2026 season because of a reworked contract the Rams completed last year with him. Many signs point to the quarterback returning to the field at least for next season, potentially past that. But, we’ll see what he ultimately chooses to do.

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