Matthew Stafford gives an update on plans for his future in the NFL
Only two quarterbacks drafted before Matthew Stafford are still active in the NFL — Aaron Rodgers (2005) and Josh Johnson (2008). Stafford is 35, and has handled a multitude of injuries over the last few years, so it's natural that people around the league would speculate about his future. However, the Los Angeles Rams starting […]
Only two quarterbacks drafted before Matthew Stafford are still active in the NFL — Aaron Rodgers (2005) and Josh Johnson (2008). Stafford is 35, and has handled a multitude of injuries over the last few years, so it's natural that people around the league would speculate about his future. However, the Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback is not willing to give up yet. He wants to play, and it doesn't seem like those are just short-term plans.
"I don't think I'll go until the wheels completely fall off," Stafford said on the Pat McAfee Show. "They're wobbling a little bit right now as we speak."
Beyond the (half?) joke about his health status, the quarterback said how much he enjoys playing football after all these years.
"I love playing this game, I love competing, I love being in the locker room with the guys. I'll never get that again, so I want to make sure I get as many opportunities to do that as I can," Stafford stressed. "I love this team, I love the city, it's been a blast. Obviously had a bunch of success in our first year, and trying to duplicate that to either this year, next year, whenever it is. But I enjoy playing too much to hang it up."
Matthew Stafford suffered a UCL sprain in his right thumb during the Rams loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which forced him to miss the game versus the Green Bay Packers last week. The Rams have a bye in week 10, and the general expectation is that Stafford will be ready to go next week, when the Rams have a divisional game with the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback Brett Rypien started for the Rams last week in Green Bay. The performance was bad, and the backup completed just 13 of 28 passes to 130 yards and an interception. The Rams scored just three points, and that performance led the Rams to cutting Rypien and signing veteran Carson Wentz. The curious thing is that the Seahawks immediately signed Rypien, potentially looking to pick his brain before the matchup.
New life in LA
Matthew Stafford was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 2009 first overall pick. He spent 12 years with the franchise, and was individually successful to a certain degree. However, his career had lacked team success. When the Lions decided to rebuild, parties agreed it was time to move on, and Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
As Stafford said, the partnership gave the quarterback what he hadn't had: playoffs wins and a Super Bowl championship.
The all-in moves were costly, and the team is still trying to find themselves to compete again. But Matthew Stafford trusts general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay to make the right moves.
Stafford is 35 years old, so he doesn't have much time left. The injuries are a concern, and there's a chance they cut his career short. But the quarterback still has some time, and he is not willing to stop trying at this point.
Rams to sign Super Bowl champion as backup to Matthew Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams have made a move to reinforce their quarterback depth amid Matthew Stafford’s injury.
