Matthew Stafford has his focus locked on Super Bowl LX, but this is in no way the last ride.
The 17-year veteran has his team on the brink of a return to the NFL‘s showpiece event, having lifted the Lombardi Trophy at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
In Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, 37-year-old Stafford will be looking to shine against the Seattle Seahawks to set up a date with the AFC Champion New England Patriots in Santa Clara.
But win or lose, it looks like the three-time Pro Bowler is going nowhere.
Matthew Stafford makes NFL retirement decision ahead of Seahawks showdown
According to insider Ian Rapoport, the Rams quarterback still believes he has ‘good football left’ and wants to return in 2026.
“Given his age, you have to wonder what comes next for Matthew Stafford,” Rapoport told the Insiders on January 26.
“My understanding, though, is that Stafford has told people close to him that he still has some good football left, telling them no matter what, he wants to be back next year.
“This was before the Rams went on a run and ended up in the NFC Championship Game. No one knows for sure… if the Rams win the Super Bowl, does Matthew Stafford walk away?
“But we know he believes he has plenty left.”
Rapoport’s update might well silence the whispers around Stafford and his future.
The veteran will turn 38 on the eve of Super Bowl LX, and was said to have been weighing up retirement 12 months ago.
When the Rams were beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles in January 2025, he told reporters he would ‘take some time to think about’ returning to the field.
Stafford, of course, came back — and he put together an MVP season in Los Angeles.
He led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46) as the Rams finished 12-5 to make the postseason.
Big wins on the road against the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears followed in the NFL playoffs, to set up a showdown with the Seahawks on Sunday night.
It seems Stafford will return in 2026, and if things go his way in the coming weeks, he could do so as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
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