Matthew

Stafford

ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that this was the closest MVP race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the award in 2003. Stafford narrowly beat Patriots QB Drake Maye, winning 24 first-place votes to Maye’s 23 while totaling 366 points to Maye’s 361. Stafford closed his acceptance speech by telling the audience he will return for another season in 2026.

Stafford played through this injury all season. The same injury sidelined him for much of training camp and raised some doubts about his availability entering the season. Stafford played at an MVP caliber level despite dealing with the injury, and it sounds like the offseason will be all he needs to get right for next season, should he choose to return. Rapoport also noted that “as of at least a couple of days ago,” Stafford’s plan is to play next season.

Stafford, who turns 38 this month, said he will take “some time” to decide whether or not to return for another season. The 17-year vet is coming off arguably his best season as a pro and could soon take home MVP honors after throwing for 4,707-46-8 while leading the Rams to a 12-5 record. The Rams have a talented roster in place around Stafford that should be more than capable of running things back next season should he decide to return. After coming so close to his second trip to the Super Bowl, it’s hard to imagine him walking away after such a successful season while still playing at a high level.

Stafford, 37, is coming off his best season as a pro, throwing a career-high 46 touchdowns alongside just eight interceptions. Stafford’s 2025 adjusted yards per attempt (8.82) was the best of his 17-year NFL career. “It’ll be a lot that goes into it,” Stafford said. “It’s a physical, a mental and emotional decision, a personal and a family decision as well. So, we’ll figure all that kind of stuff out with some time. ... I know I had a ton of fun playing football this season and had so much fun playing for the Rams. So when I’m ready to figure that out, I’ll be ready to figure that out. That moment isn’t right now.” Stafford is signed through the 2026 season and would count as a $48.2 million cap hit for the Rams.

With roughly five minutes left in the game and a chance to take the lead, Stafford couldn’t find anyone open on third or fourth down as the Seahawks dropped extra players into coverage. It obscured a middle two quarters where Stafford absolutely torched a defense that has been mostly untouchable by non-Rams opponents this season, as he stuck haymaker after haymaker to keep the Rams in the game after Xavier Smith’s muffed punt put the Rams in an 11-point deficit. The runaway surprise QB1 this year after coming into the season with a scary-sounding back injury, Stafford authored an MVP-caliber 2025, leading the league in passing yards and throwing a career-high 46 touchdowns. He enters 2026 drafts as a mid-range QB1 despite what will be obvious questions about his age (38) and health history.

The Rams’ offense struggled to get going in the wintry conditions at Soldier Field, but a solid defensive effort kept the game within reach and gave the Rams plenty of chances to pull out the win. Despite not throwing a touchdown pass in this one, Stafford did his part to keep the offense on schedule, coming up with multiple big gains through the air on the Rams’ two touchdown drives that both ended with Kyren Williams finding the end zone. Stafford saw two sack fumbles take favorable bounces into the hands of Rams players to keep his turnover total to zero on the day, and will now look to pull off a third-straight road win against the Seahawks next week for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Stafford is dealing with a sprain on his right index finger. The 37-year-old quarterback suffered the injury early in the win over the Panthers in the Wild Card round. He never came out of the game. The Rams will go as far in these playoffs as Stafford can take them. His finger injury doesn’t appear to be a serious impediment at this point.

If you didn’t see the game, those numbers probably look pretty stellar. Stafford had major problems targeting Carolina’s corners outside, as 184 of the 304 yards came over the middle of the field. He was just 7-of-22 for 94 yards and a pick in the second and third quarters. However, with Panthers CB Jaycee Horn getting checked in the concussion protocol late in the game, he was able to pinpoint a 19-yard pass to Colby Parkinson on the sideline to give the Rams a three-point lead with 38 seconds left. We don’t know exactly where Stafford is going yet next weekend, but the Rams clearly are relying on him to keep them going and he’ll be an obvious staple in DFS lineups for the Divisional Round.

With a win today and a Seattle win on Saturday, the Rams enter the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 5 seed. That gives them a date with the Panthers in Charlotte for the Wild Card Round. Stafford’s obliteration of the Cardinals also puts him back in the driver’s seat for the MVP award. Drake Maye was the favorite heading into Week 18, but a quiet game versus the Dolphins has him falling behind Stafford. Today’s explosion brings Stafford to 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. Per usual, he will be one of the most attractive fantasy options for next week’s slate of games.

It’s hard to believe McVay would risk the health of key players — including Puka Nacua and Matthew Stafford — with the Rams all but locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC after Monday night’s devastating loss to the Falcons. Perhaps the team’s starters will get a few drives before the backups come in against Arizona. That would include Jimmy Garappolo at quarterback and maybe Ronnie Rivers at running back. Keep it locked to Rotoworld for updates on which teams will rest their starters in the regular season’s final week.