Matthew Stafford is officially returning to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, committing to play his 18th season in the NFL at the age of 38. He announced the news on stage after winning his first league MVP award, sharing how excited he is to have his four daughters cheering him on again next year.
“I am so happy to have you at games on the sidelines with me and I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking a–,” he said to his daughters on stage. “So I’ll see you guys next year. Hopefully I’m not at this event and we’re getting ready for another game at SoFi.”
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The Rams were on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, which would’ve been Stafford’s second appearance in five years with Los Angeles. He hopes to get back there next year, especially with the game being played at SoFi Stadium again – the site of his first championship in 2021.
In an interview with Stu Jackson of TheRams.com, Stafford explained his decision to return for another season, and why he wanted to announce the exciting news at the NFL Honors.
“Something I’ve been thinking about and honestly talking with my family about, even before the season ended, whether or not they wanted me to continue to play, whether or not I felt like I wanted to keep playing,” Stafford said. “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, some coaches in the crowd, and just felt like the right thing to do at the right moment. It’s a family decision. I have my girls with me, so just felt right. Happy to be coming back.”
Stafford says he wouldn’t have decided to continue playing if he didn’t have the support of his family.
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“You saw the people, the four little girls that are standing on stage with me, and I want to be as big a part of their life as I possibly can be, and that’s really important to me, and if they weren’t supportive of me playing, I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “And 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, the year before, whatever it is, we’d have some real talks.”
Stafford couldn’t have played any better in his 17th NFL season at the age of 37, throwing for an NFL-high 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 yards. He was the best quarterback all season and if not for a special teams blunder, some poor defense from the Rams and a failed red zone trip late against the Seahawks, he might be playing for a ring against the guy who finished second in MVP voting: Drake Maye.
Surely, Stafford’s incredible play influenced his decision to return, as did his ability to stay upright and healthy all season. The Rams allowed just 23 sacks this year, which was tied for the fewest of any team.
Returning in 2026 was always an option but with no visible decline in his play, it had to have made his decision to come back even easier.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams’ Matthew Stafford explains why he’s returning in 2026
