Sean McVay 'absolutely' wants Matthew Stafford back with Rams, but will give QB time to make retirement decision
- - Sean McVay 'absolutely' wants Matthew Stafford back with Rams, but will give QB time to make retirement decision
Chris CwikFebruary 2, 2026 at 7:30 PM
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If Matthew Stafford wants to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, he'll have a job waiting for him. Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday that he "absolutely" wants Stafford back next season, but will give the quarterback some time to decide if he still wants to play football.
McVay expressed as much Monday, saying he wants Stafford back as long as "that's something that he wants to do."
Rams coach Sean McVay on whether he wants Matthew Stafford back as QB: "If that's something that he wants to do, the answer is absolutely yes.""Our hope is that he does, but with respect to his timetable ... we'll let him be able to do that."No timetable for decision is set.
— Jeremy Bergman (@JABergman) February 2, 2026
McVay's comments shouldn't come as a major surprise considering Stafford's numbers in 2025. The 37-year-old led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He's considered the favorite to take home the MVP award once its announced.
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But there's at least some uncertainty over whether Stafford — who is signed with the Rams through the 2026 NFL season — will return for next season. While McVay angrily dismissed the idea immediately following the Ram's loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship, the quarterback said he would take some time to think things over.
McVay said Monday the team would "respect [Stafford's] timetable." McVay added there was no specific date set for Stafford to make that decision.
The Stafford-McVay pairing has been incredibly successful since the Rams traded for the former Detroit Lions quarterback. Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led the team to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team back in 2021. Stafford has made two Pro Bowls and was selected to the first-team All-Pro team once with the Rams. He'll likely add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments with the team before long.
Given his success in the NFL, there's not much else Stafford needs to accomplish before he calls it a career. He already ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh all time in passing touchdowns. Combine that with his Super Bowl win — and probable MVP award — and Stafford has a pretty strong case for the Hall of Fame if he never plays another down in the NFL.
But walking away from the game right now could prove difficult. Stafford just had the best season of his career and was able to take the Rams on a deep playoff run. The temptation to try and win one more ring might prove too strong, especially with Stafford showing little to no signs of decline in 2025.
Source: “AOL Sports”
