Rams' Matthew Stafford opens up about potential retirement from NFL
Matthew Stafford suffered a thumb injury in Week 8 and missed the game the following week. Last season, the veteran quarterback dealt with a significant elbow injury and was sidelined for a lengthy period.
During that time, there were rumors that Stafford might retire, but the Super Bowl-winning quarterback chose to play on. Recently, in a segment with Pat McAfee, Stafford talked about his retirement plans and said that it isn't coming any time soon.
Here's what he said:
"I don't think I'll go until the wheels completely fall off. They're wobbling a little bit right now as we speak but no, I love playing this game, I love competing, I love being in the locker room with the guys, I'll never get that again. So, I want to make sure I get as many opportunities to do that as I can.
"I love this team, I love the city, It's been a blast obviously had a bunch of success in our first year and trying to duplicate that. Either this year next year, or whatever it is, but I enjoy playing too much to hang it up...
"I had conversations about retirement with my wife Kelly for sure, but once I got kind of assured that this will calm down and I will be good as new next season, I was ready to go. But at this point in my career, there's no question I'm, you know, I'm on the tail end of it."
Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, and he immediately led them to a Super Bowl win. However, the following year, the team struggled with injuries to star players and failed to make the playoffs.
They are 3-6 heading into their bye, but there is still optimism around the franchise. Stafford has played quite well after his recovery from the elbow injury and is expected to play in Week 11.
Moreover, the ascension of Puka Nacua has kept everyone excited as he and Cooper Kupp form a pretty good duo that can lead the team to enormous success. Hopefully, Sean McVay and the Rams will be able to figure things out after the bye week.
Matthew Stafford career earnings
After winning the Super Bowl with the Rams, Matthew Stafford signed a four-year $160 million contract extension with the franchise. As per Spotrac, over the course of his career, he has earned a staggering amount of $328,306,037. His current AAV is $40M, and he will likely touch the $400M mark in career earnings before retirement.
Matthew Stafford career stats
After getting drafted by the Detroit Lions with the first overall pick, Matthew Stafford has had a pretty good career. In 199 games over 15 seasons, he has thrown for 54,152 yards, 341 touchdowns, and 176 interceptions with a passer rating of 90.6.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Pat McAfee Show and H/T Sportskeeda.