Matthew Stafford explains decision to return to Rams after retirement rumors

As many expected would be the case, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was officially revealed as the Most Valuable Player for the 2025 regular season during Thursday night's "NFL Honors" festivities. 

However, Stafford surprisingly dropped some news when he confirmed during his acceptance speech that he will return to the Rams for the 2026 campaign. Later, he was asked about sharing that information while on stage with his four daughters. 

Thursday night felt like "the right moment" for Matthew Stafford to confirm return to Rams

"Something I've been thinking about and honestly talking with my family about, even before the season ended, whether or not they wanted me to continue to play, whether or not I felt like I wanted to keep playing," Stafford explained, per Stu Jackson of the Rams' website. "I ended the season on a healthy note and was a part of a great team. I had a bunch of teammates in the crowd, some coaches in the crowd, and just felt like the right thing to do at the right moment. It's a family decision. I have my girls with me, so just felt right. Happy to be coming back."

Stafford and those close to him certainly kept outsiders guessing throughout the first month and a half of winter. A December report suggested he knew at that time he wouldn't retire this offseason, but he then declined to confirm his plans on multiple occasions following Los Angeles' NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 

As recently as this past Wednesday, Rams general manager Les Snead hinted he didn't know if Stafford would come back. It turns out Snead and Rams head coach Sean McVay are good at keeping secrets. 

Sean McVay: "It was really special" for Matthew Stafford to announce return after winning MVP

"It was good to be able to allow him to be able to announce that," McVay told Jackson about Stafford breaking his own news on Thursday evening. "Those were things that we knew was coming, but I thought it was really special for him to be able to deliver that news. Everything starts with Matthew, and when he's at the switch, we've got a chance. It starts all over, and that's why you got to love the grind. He loves everything that every day entails, and we'll build it back up again. But you sure feel good with him running the show."

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi mentioned that Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes for 366 points, while Drake Maye of the New England Patriots got 23 first-place votes for 361 points. It was the closest finish to an MVP race since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the honor for the 2003 campaign.

"...I'm lucky to have little girls that want their dad to do what he loves to do," Stafford added. "They love cheering me on and all my teammates. It's a special thing to have that, but it's not something I'm willing to lose over a game that I love to play. There's no question about it. But if they weren't behind me in that decision, I don't care how good I played that year, the year before, whatever it is, we'd have some real talks."

Such "real talks" won't be necessary for the Stafford family until next winter at the earliest.