Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford faced retirement speculation after the Los Angeles Rams fell short of the Super Bowl, but now it appears the quarterback is moving in the other direction.
Stafford quickly decided that he would be returning to the Rams for another season, fulfilling the final year of a contract meant to serve as a year-by-year commitment with the expectation he could retire at any point. A new report indicates that Stafford and the Rams are close to securing a contract extension that would keep him for another year.
Matthew Stafford Running it Back With the Rams
As Brock Vierra of USA Today’s Rams Wire noted, the two sides are working toward a deal.
“The Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford have both confirmed that their partnership will continue into 2026 after brief retirement rumors circulated before Stafford won his first MVP award,” Vierra wrote. “While Stafford is under contract for 2026, the final year of his current deal, both parties have had a long-standing agreement that they will enter year-to-year negotiations to hammer out terms, especially when it comes to guaranteed money.”
NFL insider Ian Rapoport added that the two sides made “significant progress” toward a deal, and Stafford has remained on good terms with the organization. In the most recent contract, the Rams allowed him to decide whether he would retire this offseason, though he had little deliberation after the Rams came within a game of returning to the Super Bowl.
Stafford’s career will become a more even split between his time with the Lions and Rams. He spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit, making the playoffs just three times and earning one trip to the Pro Bowl. Since joining the Rams in a blockbuster trade in 2021, he has won the Super Bowl and earned his first career MVP award.
Rams Have Changing Quarterback Room
The Rams could have some changing coming behind Stafford in their quarterback room. Veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly considering retirement, which would thin out the depth chart and likely prompt the Rams to find more help for the coming season.
The Rams may also start planning for their future after Stafford. USA Today’s Jacob Camenker predicted they would land Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 29 overall pick — if he’s still on the board.
âSimpson has a wide draft range, as he could end up being a top-five pick but could also slip to the end of the first round,â Camenker wrote. âThis scenario would represent his floor, and it would feature quarterback-needy teams like the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers passing on him.â
The Lions, meanwhile, have little plan for their immediate future beyond Jared Goff. The other end of the 2021 trade, Goff has been holding down the starting job in Detroit with no long-term succession plan. The team just brought back veteran Teddy Bridgewater, who came out of retirement two years ago, to once again serve as the No. 2 to Goff in Detroit.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford Taking Major Career Step After Retirement Rumors appeared first on Heavy Sports.