Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford gave his all on the field in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks. But football is not a one-man sport. While the offense had the spark, the defense and special teams dragged the unit down. With that, the Rams had to accept yet another failed attempt at a Super Bowl appearance, but that also came with speculation about their 37-year-old quarterback’s retirement.

“Can’t generalise six months in my life 10 minutes after a loss,” Stafford said when asked about how he played this season during the post-game conference, but refused to address a potential retirement. “Appreciate the guys in this locker room. It was a whole helluva lot. Everybody who helped me and helped our team be as successful as we were this year. That’s all I’ll answer for you.”

It goes without saying that it is simply too early for the quarterback to think about what’s next for him. He is still processing the NFC title loss, and that’s where things get difficult to digest: The Los Angeles team wouldn’t have stayed in this game without their quarterback. Every time Seattle scored, Stafford made sure to answer. But in the end, he walked away from the game completing 22 of 35 passes for 374 yards, three touchdowns, and also the feeling that playing well enough did not guarantee a championship appearance. 

His season ended in a 31-27 loss.

Age isn’t on his side, either. At 37, he is in the twilight of his career and just completed his 17th season. And though he is also coming off the first season of a two-year, $84 million contract he signed with the Rams in February last year, that isn’t enough to establish he will return. As of now, his stance is indecisive. 

Interestingly, this uncertainty surrounding the Rams’ QB did not come out of nowhere. Hours before the Rams vs. Seahawks game, Stafford’s potential retirement was discussed. During a GameDay segment on January 24, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared what he had been hearing about Stafford’s mindset regarding the next stage of his career in the NFL.

“He [Stafford] is going to be 38 years old next month, playing at an MVP level,” Rapoport said. “But of course, given his age, you have to wonder what comes next for Matthew Stafford. My understanding is that Stafford has told people close to him that he believes he still has good football left, and no matter what, he wants to be back next year.”

Rapoport also mentioned that the veteran QB told people about returning next season before the Rams’ deep playoff run. Stafford seemed to reinforce that belief just last week, when he led the Rams to a 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears with a game-winning drive in overtime and pushed his team into the NFC Championship Game. 

Yet, if this really were the end of Matthew Stafford’s career, what a way to go out.

Stafford just finished the best season of his career while leading the league in passing touchdowns (46) and passing yards (4,707). He even wrapped up the 2025 regular season as the favorite to win MVP. Even so, his non-committal tone has left uncertainty about the Rams’ Super Bowl hopes for next season.

So naturally, reporters turned to head coach Sean McVay for answers.

What did Sean McVay say about Matthew Stafford’s future with the Rams?

Since being traded from the Detroit Lions in 2021, Matthew Stafford has transformed his career with the Rams. In his first season, Stafford delivered a Super Bowl title, then took the Rams back to the playoffs twice more, including this season. But over the past two seasons, whispers about a possible retirement have followed Stafford around the league. Sunday’s NFC title loss only intensified those questions, and reporters didn’t hesitate to press McVay for more clarity on the QB’s future. A reporter asked the coach if he wanted the QB to return.

“Yeah, I mean if Stafford still wants to play,” McVay said in the post-game presser. “What the hell kind of question is that? The answer is yeah. You’ll have to ask him. 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, I’ve got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that’s just different.”

McVay clearly didn’t appreciate the questions revolving around Matthew Stafford’s retirement plans. But the coach also made it clear that if Stafford wants to keep playing, the Rams want him back as their starter.

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Stafford has now thrown for 64,516 yards and taken 525 sacks in his 17-year veteran career in the league. He also dealt with serious back issues before the 2025 season even began. 

So, while McVay’s irate reaction to probing questions on his QB’s future is reassuring, it also makes you wonder if there’s more going on behind the scenes. It’s not clear whether Stafford is ready to walk away while he is still playing at an MVP level. But if this season proved anything, it’s that Stafford can still play at a level most quarterbacks only dream of. The only question now is whether he wants to do it all over again in pursuit of another Super Bowl glory.