LOS ANGELES – Matthew Stafford isn’t hanging up his helmet just yet. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback announced Thursday night he’ll return for the 2026 NFL season,just after being named the league’s Most Valuable Player for the first time in his 17-year career. Stafford and the rams fell short in the NFC Championship game.
A Family Affair Fuels Stafford’s Return
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The veteran quarterback cited support from his family as a key factor in his decision to play another season.
“I’ll see you guys next year,” Stafford said, holding the MVP award alongside his four daughters. The decision wasn’t made lightly, he explained, involving conversations with his family even before the season concluded. He wanted to gauge their feelings about him continuing to play and assess his own desire to keep competing.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about,” stafford told reporters. “Talking with my family about even before the season ended, whether or not they wanted me to continue to play and whether or not it felt like I wanted to keep playing. 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, coaches in the crowd, and it just felt like the right thing to do at the right moment.”
He emphasized the importance of family in his choice.”It’s a family decision. I have my girls with me, so it just felt right. Happy to be coming back.”
A Record-Breaking Season for the 37-Year-Old
Stafford, 37, capped off a stellar 2025 season with both the MVP award and a first-team All-Pro selection. He threw a franchise-record 46 touchdown passes, a personal best for the former No. 1 overall pick from 2009. He also became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record at least 45 passing touchdowns with fewer then 10 interceptions in a single season.
“this game takes a lot out of you,” Stafford acknowledged, reflecting on the physical and emotional toll of the sport. “You saw the people, the four little girls that were standing on stage with me, and I wont to be as big a part of their life as I possibly can be. That’s really important to me, and if they weren’t supportive of me playing, I wouldn’t do it.”
He continued, “I’m lucky to have little girls that want their dad to do what he loves to do. 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 or the year before or whatever it is, you know, we’d have some real talks.”
A Legacy in the Making
Stafford now joins an exclusive group of quarterbacks – 15 in total – to have earned both an MVP award and a Super Bowl victory. Ten of those 14 players are already enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while three others are currently ineligible but widely expected to be inducted in the future: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
with this accomplishment, Stafford has firmly positioned himself as a potential Hall of Famer. Though, his eligibility won’t be considered for several years.
- Matthew Stafford will return for the 2026 NFL season after being named MVP.
- Family support was a crucial factor in his decision.
- Stafford’s 2025 season included a franchise-record 46 touchdown passes.
- He is the 15th quarterback to win MVP and a Super Bowl.
