Matthew Stafford's Rams Future Addressed By GM Les Snead After QB's Contract Extension

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said the team and quarterback Matthew Stafford are taking it "year-to-year" in regards to his NFL future during an interview with Rich Eisen on Wednesday (11:40 mark).

"That's a really good question. We truly like to take it year-to-year. Now I think it's really, for Matthew's sake, in that I know Matthew puts so much into playing this game that sometimes it's daunting to think, 'Oh I have multiple years'...Let's just focus on the year we're about to embark on. It's interesting. Every year that we've done this, probably 24 hours after the season, Matthew has come right in and said, 'Let's do it again.'

"I've mentioned it to someone earlier to. If he was a baseball player, and he could throw over 100 mph on a pitch...I think he'd be able to throw 100 mph at age 60. Like he has a special gift in that arm, in that wrist, all of that, so it's not gonna be the arm that finally he says, 'You know what, it may be time to hang 'em up. It'll probably be the grit required to play that position at an elite level. I'll say this, he's not slowing down."

Stafford is not slowing down at all. The reigning NFL MVP just led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). The Rams also won 12 games and led the NFL with 518 points.

L.A. was arguably the second-best NFL team last year, nearly picking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks before losing in the NFC Championship Game, 31-27.

The 38-year-old Stafford has played 17 NFL seasons, so it's natural to wonder when he might hang up his cleats, even if he's dominating the league right now. It wasn't clear that he would return for 2026 until Stafford made that public while accepting his NFL MVP trophy at last February's NFL Honors ceremony.

The Rams did select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in last year's draft, so they certainly have a possible succession plan in place whenever Stafford decides to retire.

However, that won't be this year, and the Rams are clearly hellbent on taking advantage of whatever playing time Stafford has left in the league based on two massive trades this offseason for Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.

This year's Rams team opens the season in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10 against the San Francisco 49ers.