Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may have one more season left in him, a former teammate predicts.
Stafford is facing retirement speculation after the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game. Though Stafford spent much of the 2025 offseason contemplating whether he would return to the NFL, former teammate Aaron Donald believes this year’s decision is much clearer for the MVP favorite.
Aaron Donald Predicts Matthew Stafford Will Return
Donald and Stafford played together on the Rams, winning a Super Bowl together in 2021 — the season after Stafford came to Los Angeles via a blockbuster trade with the Lions. Speaking on “The Inner Circle” podcast this week, Donald said he reached out to Stafford after the team’s loss to the Seahawks in the NFC title game.
“He’s a special, special talent,” Donald said. “Year 17, to have the year he had. MVP-caliber season, All-Pro season. to get his team to the NFC championship, man. I just texted him yesterday and I just told him, ‘Hell of a game, hell of a season. And I’m proud of him.’ “
Donald added that he doesn’t have any inside information from Stafford, but believes the veteran quarterback is set to return to the Rams in 2026, leading what is expected to be a Super Bowl contender again.
“If you ask me, the way he played this year, MVP-type season, I think he’s got one more left,” Donald said. “He ain’t tell me nothing, but if I had to assume, I think he’ll come back for another season. But that’s his decision to make. We’re going to see. Only time will tell.”
Donald said he understands what Stafford is going through, saying he felt similar emotions when it came time to contemplate retirement.
“I put everything into football. I know he does. If he’s still got that fire to want to play, want to go out there, come back, right?” he said. “But if that fire is down and he’s like, ‘I don’t know, man. I don’t think I want to come back and do camp and go through 17 games again and OTAs and all this and that,’ then don’t do it. But if the fire is still there to want to do that, if you’ve got the urge to want to go out there and compete still at a high level, hey, come back, man. I would love to watch you keep playing.”
Other Signs Point to Return for Matthew Stafford
Other insiders have reported that Stafford is heading back to the Rams for another season. The quarterback signed a two-year deal before the start of last season, one that reportedly had a chance for him to retire after the last season.
SI.com’s Greg Bishop reported that Stafford isn’t going to take that option, instead returning to lead the Rams.
“The handshake deal remains in place,” Bishop wrote. “Each year, Stafford and the Rams will do their own assessments. Never say never, but no one in his inner circle believes Stafford will retire after this season, even if he wins another championship and could retire, like Elway, completing the rarest sendoff in pro football—out on top.”
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