How Much Time Does Matthew Stafford Have Left?
Quarterback Matthew Stafford will head into his 17th season in the NFL in 2025, again leading the Los Angeles Rams. The 37-year-old is coming off his sixth playoff appearance last season, where the Rams were defeated in the Divisional Round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the loss, Stafford has already cemented himself as one of the league's best quarterbacks, not only having multiple seasons with over 4,000 passing yards, but also winning a Super Bowl in 2021 with the Rams. While he has taken his team into back-to-back playoff seasons the past two years, is the clock beginning to run out on Stafford as a starting quarterback in the NFL?
Most quarterbacks in the league begin to slow down nearing their 40s, while Stafford has done the exact opposite. He would throw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 2024. The year before that, he would throw for nearly 4,000 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. In his four seasons with the Rams, he has made the playoffs in three of those seasons, alongside winning a Lombardi trophy. The veteran quarterback had already become a star in Detroit and has now become a hero in Los Angeles. Rather than prepare for life after Stafford, the Rams have decided there’s still plenty of time to make another championship run with him.
Wide receiver Davante Adams would sign a two-year contract with the Rams this offseason, creating a brand new duo with Stafford and Adams. The two would face off against each other many times in years past, Stafford with the Detroit Lions and Adams with the Green Bay Packers. While they were once rivals, they would create a mutual respect that has now led them to play for the same side. The decision to add Adams would come after the departure of wide receiver Cooper Kupp, in hopes that they’ll be able to find Stafford a brand new receiver to be his number one target. The Rams would also re-sign left tackle Alaric Jackson to a three-year contract and acquire free agent center Coleman Shelton. While the Rams would lose a couple of key players this offseason, they would be more than willing to re-sign and find new players to ensure that Stafford’s time as an NFL starter has plenty of years to come.
