Matthew Stafford’s masterful season for the Rams fell short of the Super Bowl after Los Angeles fell to the Seahawks 31–27 in Sunday’s NFC championship game. The star quarterback had a career year in his 17th NFL season. It’s fair to question Stafford’s future just two weeks away from his 38th birthday, but after the devastating loss, Rams coach Sean McVay was having none of it.
In McVay’s postgame press conference, he was asked whether Stafford would return next season, firing back to the question with his clear stance on the matter.
“Yeah, I mean if he still wants to play, what the hell kind of question is that?” The Rams coach responded. “We’ve been totally present and I know that if he wants to, he’s still playing at a pretty good clip. I mean, he’s the MVP of the league. I got respect for everybody else, but this guy is played at a level that’s just different.”
"If he still wants to play, what the hell kind of question is that."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 26, 2026
Sean McVay on if Matthew Stafford is returning next season 👀 pic.twitter.com/XNRyA4pkdE
Stafford went 22-for-35 passing with 374 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Seattle, becoming the first player to put together that kind of game in the postseason and lose. The NFL’s MVP frontrunner falls just short of the Super Bowl despite yet another incredible performance. This season, he led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns for the first time. He threw 46 touchdowns this year, 12 more than any other QB (Jared Goff, 34).
On Sunday, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was just as good, going 25-for-36 passing with 346 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. McVay admitted he was speechless following the tough loss, ending the Rams’ season just one game shy of a return to the Super Bowl after Stafford led them to a championship four years ago.
“I’m never really short on words and I am right now,” McVay said. “It’s tough, but this is sports and you got to be able to deal with it.”
Now, the Rams have to look toward next season. Although their QB’s future is yet to be determined, it appears the plan is for him to return in hopes of making another deep postseason run as long as he wants to.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean McVay Had Fiery Response to Question on Matthew Stafford's Rams Future.
