Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford revealed his plans to return for his 18th NFL season in 2026 while accepting the 2025 Associated Press NFL MVP award during the 2026 NFL Honors event Thursday (February 6) night.

"I'll see you guys next year," Stafford said while thanking his Rams teammates.

Stafford, 37, reportedly edged out New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye by a 366-361 margin for the NFL MVP award, the closest since Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and the late Steve McNair shared the award in 2003, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. The veteran quarterback threw for an NFL-best 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, as well as eight interceptions, on 388 of 597 passing during the 2025 regular season, his 17th in the NFL, having led the Rams to a 12-5 regular season record and NFC Championship Game appearance.

Stafford didn't give a definitive answer on his NFL future following the Rams' NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks last month, leading to speculation once again about his future heading into the offseason.

"I can't generalize six months of my life 10 minutes after a loss," Stafford said at the time via ESPN. "So I appreciate the guys in this locker room a whole hell of a lot. Everybody that helped me and helped our team be the success that we were this year. And that's all I'll answer for you."

Head coach Sean McVay responded "yeah, if he still wants to play," when asked if he'd have Stafford back in 2026 after the loss, but said, "You'll have to ask him" when questioned about whether the veteran quarterback intended to continue his career.

"We've been totally present," McVay said. "I know that if he wants to, he's still playing at a pretty damn good clip. I mean, he's the MVP of the league and if he's not ... I got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that's just different."

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