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Rams QB Matthew Stafford announces 2026 NFL return in MVP acceptance speech

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax02/06/26BarkleyTruax

Matthew Stafford won the NFL’s MVP award on Thursday night. During his acceptance speech, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback revealed he’s coming back next season.

His statement came at a time when his future in LA was uncertain. Some believed he may consider retiring after the 2025 season, but that is no longer the case following the definitive statement.

“I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me,” he said, speaking to his family. “And I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking ass. So I’ll see you guys next year. Hopefully I’m not at this event, and we’re getting ready for another game in So-Fi.”

By not being at the NFL Honors in 2027 would mean the Los Angeles Rams would be playing in the Super Bowl. Stafford and company fell one game shy of the achievement after losing to the Seattle Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC Championship game two weekends ago.

Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns during the loss, which was a strong performance fitting for the NFL’s MVP to end his season on. Still, the Rams came up one score short of the win.

That wrapped up year five for Stafford with the Rams. He brought a Super Bowl to Los Angeles in 2021 during his first season with the Rams. However, a 5-12 finish kept them out of the postseason in 2022. They haven’t missed the postseason since, but this season’s conference championship is the closest they’ve gotten to a second Super Bowl win during the Stafford era.

Now, he’s back for 2026 and will look to maintain his MVP-level play next fall. This season, he threw for 4,707 yards, his first time leading the league in that category. Stafford tossed a league-leading 46 touchdowns, threw just eight interceptions and completed 65% of his passes.

As a result, the 37-year-old QB was named an AP First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career. His MVP this season is also the first of his career. 2026 will be his 18th year in the league.