What Sean McVay Makes of Matthew Stafford's Rams Future

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have engeged in heated, drawn-out contract negotioations with quarterback Matthew Stafford over the past two offseasons. Entering 2026, the narrative is different as the money is in place. However, the question is now more of a want than a need.

Do the Rams want to run it back with Stafford and does Stafford want to play again? Well, we now know one part of that question.

McVay Shares His Hopes For A Reunion

On Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay held his end-of-year press conference in which he spoke on a variety of topics, one of them being the future of star quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“He deserves as much time as he needs," stated McVay. “We spend a lot of time together. ... I’m hopeful, but with respect to him, [we] haven't set any sort of timetable. I don’t get the sense he wants to let it drag on either, and then we’ll just kind of see how he's feeling. I’m keeping my fingers crossed like you guys that he still wants to go play.”

Stafford has yet to comment on if he will play in 2026. Having had an MVP season, Stafford is only under contract through next season.

My Take

Stafford is taking time away to enjoy the fruits of his labor with his loved ones and since the Rams can not play another game until August, football is the furthest thing from his mind. However, as time continues to go on, the football juices will start to flow and come OTAs, the Rams' gunslinger will be back out on the field.

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

McVay confirmed that Stafford would not need surgury this offseason so it appears some rest and relaxation is what the doctor will order for Stafford to be at his best next season.

McVay and Stafford

Stafford was asked before the NFC Championship Game about how his relationship with McVay has developed.

“That's yet to be seen," stated Stafford. "I think as far as an edge goes, he's calling it. He's leading our team. He's helping us get prepared and I'm going out there and trying to do my job. As far as experience goes, you can't fake experience. We've had the ability to go and play in playoff games, win them, lose them, go to the Super Bowl and all those things together. As far as our relationship and how it's grown, I feel like any friendship where you spend as many hours as we do together [grows]."

"When I first got here in 2021, he was learning me, I was learning him and how do we do that as fast as we possibly can to try to reach the goal that we want to? We were able to do that. There were some times when we learned about each other a lot in the next three or four years. It's been really cool. It's been fun to watch him become a father of two. I know he loves…I was Facetiming my girls in the meeting room this morning and he's asking Tyler [his daughter] if her tooth was still loose. There's plenty of back and forth. It's a really cool and unique relationship. It’s one that I don't take for granted and one that I appreciate a lot.”

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