Matthew Stafford could have left the Los Angeles Rams last offseason if he’d wanted to, but both sides knew they were better off reuniting in 2025. Yet even after a stellar season, it’s fair to wonder how much longer Stafford’s NFL run will last.
He has a good chance to win the first MVP of his career on the brink of his 38th birthday in early February, and the Rams just lost a nail-biter to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, falling four points shy of the Super Bowl.
But if the last four years of Aaron Rodgers‘ career (ages 39-42) have proven anything, it’s that a great QB can regress to a middle-of-the-road performer quickly when age becomes a factor.
Stafford has one season remaining on his two-year, $84 million contract and it’s a tough sell that his production will continue to improve beyond the 4,707 yards and 46 TDs he threw for this year, both of which led the league. He tossed just eight interceptions in 2025, earning his third Pro-Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career.
Stafford spent the first 12 years of his NFL tenure with the Detroit Lions, though it’s unclear how much longer he has beyond his fifth season with in L.A., which wrapped up last weekend with another narrow playoff defeat.
Based on a prediction from CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer in his most recent mock draft on Monday, January 26, it may not be long at all.
Rams Projected to Reach for Alabama QB Ty Simpson With No. 13 Pick in NFL Draft
GettyAlabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Brockermeyer projected that Los Angeles will select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson as Stafford’s successor with the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of April’s draft.
“Ty Simpson could benefit from a weak quarterback class and has promising traits,” Brockermeyer wrote. “He may have the most upside in the group despite struggling in the second half of the season behind limited protection and run support. He has a strong arm, can hit every area of the field with velocity and touch and processes quickly with strong anticipation. Experience will be his biggest hurdle.”
Jordan Reid of ESPN recently gave Simpson a draft grade placing him in the range of a late first-rounder to an early second-round pick based on his pure talent and how that stacks up against other prospects, regardless of position.
Matthew Stafford’s Inner Circle Expects Return to Rams Next Season
GettyQuarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams
Brockermeyer’s projection of Simpson coming off the board at No. 13 is a reflection of shallow talent at the position in this year’s class, but also the imperative in L.A. to stock the depth chart at QB before it’s too late.
There is no reason to believe Stafford won’t be back in 2026 after perhaps the best season of his career, but the end of his time with the Rams and in the NFL is likely nearer than the production suggests — perhaps much nearer.
“Each year, Stafford and the Rams will do their own assessments,”Greg Bishop of SI wrote. “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 [John] Elway, completing the rarest sendoff in pro football — out on top.”
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