The Los Angeles Rams have Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, locked in as their starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
How much longer that arrangement lasts is already becoming a storyline.
Pro Football Focus included Stafford among 10 NFL players whose final season could come in 2026, pointing to his age, the Rams’ succession plan and the back issue that complicated the start of his 2025 campaign.
The prediction lands only months after Los Angeles selected Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick and extended Stafford’s contract through 2027.
Stafford, nevertheless, has stopped short of promising he will play beyond this season.
That combination leaves the Rams in an intriguing position.
Their 38-year-old quarterback is coming off the best statistical season of his career, and the player drafted to eventually replace him is already in the building.
PFF Sees 2026 as Possible End for Stafford
GettyWOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 28: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams throws a pass during an organized team activities workout at Rams Village at the Warner Center on May 28, 2026 in Woodland Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images)
Stafford hardly looked like a quarterback nearing the finish line in 2025.
He led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes against eight interceptions, earning his first MVP award. PFF gave him a league-best 92.0 overall grade, the highest mark of his career, as Stafford helped Los Angeles reach the NFC Championship Game.
But PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote that there is “a real chance 2026 will be his last year,” even though Stafford remains under contract for another season.
Age is only one part of the puzzle.
Stafford dealt with a back injury before the 2025 season and didn’t return to practice until Aug. 18. He recovered well enough to start all 17 regular-season games, but the Rams have continued to carefully manage his workload this summer with scheduled rest days.
The veteran’s May extension also didn’t settle the long-term question.
Stafford said after signing the extension that it was valuable because it had “next year taken care of” if he decides to play and the Rams still want him. The wording kept 2027 open without committing either side to another season.
For now, Stafford is at the heart of a roster ready to contend again. The Rams have treated him accordingly, keeping him out of preseason action while using joint practices to give the starting offense competitive work.
Rams Already Put Stafford Succession Plan in Place
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Ty Simpson #15 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up during the Los Angeles Rams Training Camp at Loyola Marymount University on July 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Los Angeles didn’t wait for Stafford to retire before addressing quarterback.
The Rams used the 13th pick in April on Ty Simpson, making the former Alabama starter the clearest succession plan Stafford has had since arriving in Los Angeles in 2021.
The Rams’ official website called Simpson the “heir apparent” in June and noted there’s no firm timeline for when the change will happen.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell examined similar first-round quarterback succession plans and found that, among 10 starters who gave way to those rookies, the veterans lasted an average of 17 more games as the starter.
Stafford could easily outlast that trend, but Los Angeles has already protected itself against a sudden ending.
Simpson, meanwhile, can develop without being rushed. He is expected to play in the preseason as Stafford is on his normal veteran schedule.
The setup gives the Rams room to chase another championship without ignoring what comes next.
PFF’s speculative retirement projection doesn’t matchup with Stafford’s recent production that serves as an indication of a multi-year future.
Yet the contract language, his age and the Rams’ decision to spend a premium draft pick on Simpson make 2026 feel like a legitimate crossroads.
If Stafford decides this season is enough, Los Angeles has already started preparing for the moment.
LA Rams’ Matthew Stafford Gets Eye-Opening Prediction Entering 2026