Will Matthew Stafford shock the NFL world and announce his retirement this spring?
The Los Angeles Rams were considered the favorites to win the NFC heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, but they still could've used some more firepower for the fall. The front office, however, opted to use its first-round pick on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
When the Rams held a press conference on Day 1 of the draft, Rams coach Sean McVay didn't seem too pleased about the pick. He then told reporters that he was just trying to be mindful of his veteran quarterback.
"That was never my intended way to be able to come off, but sometimes I can be a little grumpy,. There was other things that had nothing to do with that. That's normal life. But the main thing was I couldn't be more excited to add (Simpson), but also understanding of how much I love Matthew Stafford, how respectful you want to always be to just the way things can be interpreted," McVay said. "The demeanor would have been stoic by nature because you are excited, but it is Matthew's football team."
Those remarks from McVay led many to believe that Stafford wasn't fond of the Rams using the 13th overall pick on a quarterback.
© Peter Casey-Imagn Images.
During this Tuesday's edition of "PFT Live," Mike Florio brought up the possibility that Stafford retires due to his team's new quarterback situation.
"What if Matthew Stafford says, 'Screw it, I retire.' What if he decides, you're not making me an offer I like, so I'm going to retire," Florio said. "I think the what if has to be in the conversation for his potential reaction to the Rams drafting his replacement. Why are they bending over backwards if they're not worried about how he's going to respond?"
Florio is obviously talking in hypotheticals, but it's a fair one to bring up considering the Rams had to let Stafford know about their plans for Simpson before the pick was even made.
It's also worth noting there were rumblings about Stafford retiring back in January, but he announced his return for 2026 during his acceptance speech for the MVP award.
Sean McVay doesn't sound too worried.
During a recent interview with ESPN, McVay said Stafford has been supportive of Simpson joining the quarterback room.
"He couldn’t be more of a stud," McVay said, via Pro Football Talk. "When you’re an elite competitor the way he is, he responded exactly the way I would want to. He’s going to put his arm around this guy. . . . He’s like, ‘I understand it.’ He’s earned the right to be year to year, and if he tells me he wants to play three more years, no one would be more excited about that than me."
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, meanwhile, said the Rams are trying to get a deal done for Stafford that would take care of at least the 2026 season.
