Rams' Matthew Stafford gives hint about future amid retirement chatter

Even before the Los Angeles Rams suffered a 28-22 divisional-round playoff loss at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, some wondered if Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was in the closing stages of what could eventually be seen as somewhat of a retirement tour. 

Shortly after the defeat, the veteran signal-caller, who turns 37 years old in February, seemed to offer a big hint regarding his short-term future. 

"It sure feels like it," Stafford responded when asked if he has any meaningful football left in the tank, as shared by Nick Shook of the NFL's website. 

Stafford was the subject of numerous retirement rumors from the fall of 2022 up until such whispers quieted down in 2024. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out, some wondered this past fall when the Rams were 1-4 if they would make Stafford available to other teams. 

Stafford ultimately helped Los Angeles claim the NFC West title with a record of 10-7, and he seemed to show from Week 7 through his team's wild-card postseason win over the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 13 that he can still compete on the sport's biggest stages. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Stafford ended the 2024 regular season ranked 12th in the NFL with a 64.9 adjusted QBR and eighth with a 50.1% passing success rate. Over 16 games, he tossed 20 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. 

Florio mentioned that Stafford has two years left on a contract that includes a $4M fully guaranteed roster bonus due this March and a non-guaranteed $23M salary for 2025. Considering younger quarterbacks reset the market just about every offseason, the Rams could view Stafford as a bargain through at least next winter. 

"It was a hell of an effort all year to get to this point," Stafford added during his postgame comments. "Anytime you play like this and get into the playoffs and get a win to keep it moving, anytime you come up short, it's even tougher. That's difficult, but proud to be associated with this group. As far as my future goes, I mean, it's 30 minutes after our last game, so I'll take some time to think about it. I feel like I was playing some really good ball."

Stafford suggested in November 2023 that he would welcome "as many opportunities to" extend his career because he liked "playing too much to hang it up" at that time. He didn't repeat those comments following Sunday's loss, but he also didn't sound like somebody ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement.