Matthew Stafford has shut down the questions about his NFL future. He has confirmed he will be back with the Los Angeles Rams for the 2026 season.
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The Super Bowl-winning quarterback dropped the news while accepting the MVP Award at NFL Honors on Thursday night. He spent time thanking everyone who helped him reach this point in his career. He ended with his four daughters, saying that they would be on the sidelines watching him again next year.
"Chandler, Sawyer, Hunter, Tyler — I'm so happy to teach the blessings and the lessons of this game to you guys, through you guys," Stafford said to his daughters as they stood next to him on the stage.
"You're unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sidelines with me, and I can't wait for you to cheer me on next year when we're out there kicking ass. So I'll see you guys next year. Hopefully, I'm not at this event, and we're getting ready for another game at SoFi (Stadium)."
This comment caused a big reaction from the crowd, which included several members of his team. They responded by standing up and cheering.
Questions about Stafford's future with the team have persisted throughout the season despite him playing at an MVP level. The 37-year-old entered the season having missed time due to a back injury, and the issue created questions about whether he would be able to hold up for a full season.
He had no issues as he led the league with 4,707 passing yards, 276.9 yards per game, and 46 passing touchdowns. He took the Rams to a 12-5 record in the regular season and then playoff wins over the Panthers (wild card) and Bears (divisional).
The Rams ultimately lost in the NFC championship to the rival Seahawks, but Stafford proved yet again that he could thrive for the Sean McVay-led team.
The veteran quarterback still has one year remaining on his $84,000,000 contract that he signed ahead of the 2025 season. He will earn a base salary of $16 million during the 2026 season.
McVay actually faced questions about Stafford's future with the team after the 31-27 loss to the Rams. He snapped at the reporter while providing his answer.
"If he still wants to play. What the hell kind of question is that?" McVay said. "We've been totally present. I know if he wants to, he's still playing at a pretty damn good clip.
"I mean, he's the MVP of the league. If he's not, I mean I got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that's just different."
