The question of whether Matthew Stafford will return to the field for an 18th season has become the biggest talking point of the NFL offseason. While the Rams signal-caller’s arm remains as elite as ever, the decision to keep playing isn’t a simple yes or no. It is a complex puzzle with no clear answer just yet. And Mark Schlereth highlighted just how big a mental decision it is. 

“It’s the grind you put into it Monday through Saturday,” Schlereth said on The Rich Eisen Show. “It wears you down. And especially if you’re constantly nursing, and I know the big conversation, the top of the conversation before the season was Matthew Stafford’s back, but I just will tell you as a guy that played his whole career injured… It’s not only the preparation mentally to get yourself ready to play and to make sure that you don’t make mental mistakes.”

Looking back at his own career, the three-time Super Bowl champion shared how exhausting that routine can be. He recalled starting his days at five in the morning, just to fit in three hours of rehab before any team meetings even began. 

The 37-year-old quarterback himself has described the physical grind of playing in the league, especially as a starting quarterback, as “little aches and pains.” While he feels fit to play at the high level, he’s no longer the 21-year-old who made his debut as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft. 

Now, as his retirement is a looming question over his head, he emphasized that the final choice will be a “physical, mental, and emotional” one. But more than that, it’s a family decision for the veteran quarterback. His wife, Kelly Stafford, and their children are at the heart of his thinking. 

If you ask his wife, retirement sounds perfect. She noted that her husband’s favorite job in the world is being a dad, and after 17 years in the league, the time away from his kids during the season has started to weigh on him.

Currently, he has no set deadline for an announcement. 

“When I’m ready to figure that out, I’ll be ready to figure that out,” he said recently. “That moment isn’t right now.”

However, recent actions have only fueled more retirement talk. The three-time Pro Bowler recently pulled out of the Pro Bowl Games in San Francisco, with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts taking his spot. Initially, many thought it was because of his finger injury during the playoffs, but the Pro Bowl is a non-contact event. That made many wonder if his withdrawal is a sign that he’s distancing himself from the gridiron. 

Interestingly, there’s another element to the story. Columnist Carlos Monarrez suggested that Stafford’s retirement talk might actually be a clever way to negotiate a better deal.

The quarterback recently saw his contract value jump to $84 million, and retiring now would mean leaving roughly $40 million on the table. And Monarrez argues that after his MVP-caliber season, Stafford might want another pay bump. If the Rams and Stafford hit a wall in contract talks, the retirement rumors could become a much more serious reality for the rest of the league.

Matthew Stafford’s inner circle expects him to stay

Amid the retirement buzz, there are some who believe Stafford will be returning for another season. One of them is his former teammate, Aaron Donald, who firmly believes the Rams quarterback has “one more left” in him. While he claimed that he has no “insider information” about the situation, it’s a feeling he’s betting on. 

“If you ask me, the way he played this year, MVP-type season, I think he’s got one more left,” Donald said on The Inner Circle podcast. “He ain’t tell me nothing, but if I had to assume, I think he’ll come back for another season. But that’s his decision to make. We’re going to see. Only time will tell.”

Donald’s optimism is backed up by several sports insiders and reporters. Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop, too, noted that Stafford and the Rams have a handshake deal where they evaluate his future year by year. He even claimed that no one in Stafford’s inner circle expects him to retire this summer. 

NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms also chimed in on the ongoing conversation and claimed that the way Stafford is playing in 2025 (leading the Rams all the way to the NFC Championship) in no way suggests he’s thinking of hanging up his cleats just now. 

From the business perspective, the Super Bowl champion still has one year left on his remaining contract with the Rams. It keeps him tied to the team through the 2026 season with a massive $80 million in guaranteed money. Considering these factors, a sudden exit is quite unlikely.