Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay
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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 28: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams speaks with head coach Sean McVay prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on December 28, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
AS the Los Angeles Rams enter the 2025-26 NFL season, questions about the longevity of Matthew Stafford’s career have begun to roll in.
On Monday, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky weighed in on the Pat McAfee Show, suggesting that this could be Stafford’s “last run” with head coach Sean McVay.
“I don’t think we have to sugarcoat this when it comes to the Rams,” Orlovsky said. “They were all-in on maybe one final run with Stafford and McVay together. I don’t think it’s crazy to say, if they had beaten Philly last year, and they had gone to the Super Bowl .. maybe Matthew wouldn’t be a Ram right now if they had gone and won it.”
Stafford’s training camp has been very limited due to “back issues,” but as Orlovsky noted, McVay and the Rams knew what they were doing by easing the 16-year quarterback into the 2025-26.
‘Last Run’ for Stafford and McVay?
It’s no secret that Stafford has battled injuries before. And McVay has already flirted with retirement since the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022. So the idea doesn’t feel far-fetched.
L.A. has operating carefully with a win-now persona. The handling of Stafford throughout the offseason, and how he’s looked on the field at the tail-end of training camp, is proof.
“I do think there are some people who have that same thought process of, this is the final run, this is the last year of, ‘hey, we can go win a Super Bowl,’ Orlovsky said. “So I thought that was one of the reasons why they were extra cautious and that’s why I didn’t really have a ton of doubt. I think he looks great.”
There’s no doubting Stafford’s arm talent — few quarterbacks spin it like does when at full health — but durability is the lingering question. He’s nearing 40, and the punishment he’s absorbed over his career hasn’t slowed down.
Rams’ Expectations Couldn’t Be More Clear
While McVay and his staff were as locked in as ever during the 2025 NFL Draft, there was an urgency to find prospects who can step in and contribute to a championship contender out of the gate.
In February, the Rams jumped at the opportunity to keep the train rolling with Stafford — agreeing to a contract restructure that eventually resulted in a $44 million extension for the 2025-26 season, and “another $40 million” if the two-time Pro Bowler is still on the roster at the start of 2026 free agency.
McVay isn’t tied to Stafford just because of scheme fit or experience. Their partnership has defined the Rams’ modern era. But it hasn’t come without strain. After winning the Super Bowl together, Los Angeles endured a disastrous 5-12 campaign in 2022 that almost drove McVay into retirement.
Still, he came back. And this offseason, he emphasized just how much Stafford’s presence factored into that decision.
Losing Stafford “was never something that I ever thought would occur,” McVay said in March.
As the Rams eye their Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans on September 7, they sit confidently with young assets in line to do some damage, and their 37-year-old franchise QB and their 39-year-old head coach are as invested as ever to chase another Lombardi.