Matthew Stafford is coming off the best season of his career and is entering what should be another career year. He might not ever have a smoother road to a Super Bowl — which is exactly what makes this year so important for him. However, off the field, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback and his wife, Kelly, are dealing with a financial headache unrelated to football.

According to Page Six, the couple has been hit with a California state tax lien totaling $534,453.67, filed by the California Franchise Tax Board over unpaid taxes from the 2024 tax year. The lien was officially filed on July 14 and remains active, confirmed by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

It applies to all property and property rights the Staffords currently own, as well as anything they acquire in the future, meaning the debt follows their assets until it’s resolved. If left unpaid, the balance will continue accruing interest and additional fees. Representatives for the couple did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

Off the field, the Staffords have built a serious real estate portfolio in Southern California since Matthew was traded from Detroit to Los Angeles in 2021. The couple bought a $28.15 million mansion in Hidden Hills back in 2023. The year before that, they picked up the neighboring property for $10.5 million. Lately they have actually been scaling back, per Page Six, selling three other Hidden Hills homes for a combined $21.3 million in June.

The homes belonged to rapper Drake. According to Realtor.com, the Staffords were planning to make the third one their primary residence.

This will be Stafford’s 18th NFL season. He signed a one-year, $55 million extension with the Rams this year, bringing his career earnings to more than $500 million. He also earned his first NFL MVP award in 2025, throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns while throwing only eight interceptions.

That MVP moment turned into one of the more personal scenes of his career. Stafford brought his wife and all four of his daughters, Chandler, Sawyer, Hunter, and Tyler, on stage with him at NFL Honors in February to accept the award.

“Kelly, you’re unbelievable, what you do for our family, the way you support me, the way you support these kids,” Stafford said during his acceptance speech. “She’s my rock. I wanna let you know the sacrifices, I see you, I love you, and I appreciate you very much.”

Stafford is 38 now, and 2026 could very much be his last season. His wife has already addressed what life will look like when the iconic quarterback hangs up his cleats.

“I think it’s going to be tough when he’s done,” Kelly said on Cutting Edge. “I think he’ll be okay with the transition. It’s going to take time. I love watching him do what he loves, and he’s good at it.”

The new agreement keeps him under contract through the 2027 season, although Stafford has continued to describe his future in much more flexible terms.

“Hopefully some more football after that,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I love playing this game.”

That is why the possibility of 2026 being his last season cannot be completely dismissed, even though his contract gives him the option to continue into 2027.

Stafford has given a lot of thought to playing in the near future

The season Matthew Stafford is walking into is not a normal one either. Los Angeles went all-in this offseason, trading for Cleveland’s All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett. For the first time in a while, the defense around Stafford matches the firepower he brings to the offense. All that’s required is for Stafford to continue playing at the level he is, perhaps even better.

Everyone in the building, including Stafford, knows that it’s a big ask. But after talking to Tom Brady and Drew Brees, the Rams star might be interested in extending his career a tad bit.

“I was talking to Drew — this was before last season — and he was like, ‘How old are you, again?’ I was like, ‘I’m 37.’ He’s like, ‘You might have your best five years of your career coming up,'” he said on Green Light. And I was like, ‘Huh.'” 

“I never really thought about it that way. You’re taught as a player in this league it’s a young man’s game and the older you get, you’re just kind of doing everything you can to try to stay up to par with everybody else. And Drew saying that kind of lit a fire under me, and it give you a little bit of belief that maybe an old guy can go out there and spin it around a little bit.”

Hey, if Stafford won his first NFL MVP at 37, there’s a real case for him winning a second. Brees might not be wrong in his analysis.

The team has also been careful with how it’s managing its stars through training camp, building in extra rest days for both Garrett and Stafford as the Rams prepare for a logistically unusual season opener, a Week 1 trip to Melbourne, Australia, to face the San Francisco 49ers.

For a team that’s improved its playoff finish every year since 2021 and is now widely considered a Super Bowl favorite, Stafford’s off-field tax situation is unlikely to affect any of that on-field momentum. But it’s a reminder that even a season built around an MVP trophy and championship aspirations can come with its own set of complications far away from the field.