Tom Brady holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest player to start as a quarterback at the age of 45 during his final NFL appearance. Matthew Stafford at 38 is still a few years short, but considering his form, the Los Angeles Rams QB may have the potential to surpass Brady’s record. However, the way Stafford evaluates his retirement stance puts a big question on whether he actually wants to beat Brady’s record.
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Speaking on the Let’s Go! with Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Peter King & Jim Gray show, Stafford noted,
“I understand that there is runway out there and has been for other guys. You know, whether that ends up being the case for me or not, that’s yet to be seen. I truly, you know, make these decisions year to year. I talk about it with my girls and my wife, Kelly, my family, the people that mean the most to me and ultimately want to be up front and fair with the team and my family as well on, hey, what’s the best course of action?
“And that’s why I’ve kind of signed the one year extensions because I don’t think it’s right for them to lock me up to some major long-term deal. And then a year from now, amigo, you know what? It’s just not going to work for me and my family, and then stick the team with a bunch of dead cap and all that kind of stuff. So just trying to be as prudent as I can while still understanding that, yeah, there are times where I feel really good and feel like playing isn’t something that, you know, I want to stop doing anytime soon.”
After 17 seasons in the NFL, Matthew Stafford did not sign a multi-year contract earlier this year. Instead, he signed a one-year, $55 million contract extension with the Rams on May 21, 2026. Stafford has also adjusted his contract multiple times throughout his career specifically to lower his salary cap hit and free up space for his team.
Before the 2024 season, the Rams and Stafford agreed to a revised contract that pushed $5 million forward and lowered his 2024 cap charge by $3.33 million. Then in 2025, Stafford signed an adjusted 2-year, $84 million deal, giving him $40 million in guarantees while reducing his 2025 cap number by $2.2 million to keep the Rams compliant with the salary cap.
At this stage of his career, Matthew Stafford is leaning towards helping his team more rather than securing a long-term contract for himself.
Since 2011, there have been only two seasons when Stafford wrapped up a regular season with less than 3,700 passing yards. While playing for the Detroit Lions in 2011, Stafford threw for 5,038 yards (single-season career best) in 16 regular-season games.
Then, in the 2025 season, Stafford racked up 4,707 passing yards in 17 regular-season games, which also made him the MVP. However, after dealing with extensive back, elbow, and spinal injuries throughout his career, Stafford is now evaluating his retirement plans year by year, so that the game doesn’t take a toll on him.