By signing a revised one-year, $55 million deal, Matthew Stafford secured his place in Los Angeles through 2027. More importantly, he seems to be enjoying football as much as ever. Fresh off an MVP campaign, the veteran quarterback isn’t showing the wear and tear of a player nearing the finish line. If anything, Stafford looks motivated to keep the Rams in contention, with thoughts of retirement seemingly taking a back seat to unfinished business.

“Life is good. I’m happy to be in Los Angeles right now with the sun beating on my face and another year under my belt coming up. And then, hopefully, some more football after that. Stafford said on The Pat McAfee Show on May 27. “I love playing this game, and the Rams are nice enough to keep me, and, shoot, it’s been fun.”

“We’ve got a really good team in LA, have for the last couple of years, and it’s something that I don’t take for granted. I spent 12 years in Detroit and never got to play in some of the games that we’re playing in year in and year out now, and it’s a whole bunch of fun. So, it is something delicate. I got to navigate the end of it, and I’m not sure when that is. I want to be fair to our team. But I also want to be fair to myself and take this thing year to year. But at the same time, I love playing and am excited about this season, for sure.”

Sean McVay has made it clear that this is Stafford’s team for as long as he wants to keep playing, and even Ty Simpson also appears to understand that reality. At the same time, the Rams didn’t invest in Simpson without a vision for the future. The organization believes he has the potential to eventually take over under center. For now, though, McVay’s year-to-year approach allows the Rams to remain patient and decide when the time is right to hand over the reins.

Through the five years with the LA Rams, Matthew Stafford played in 74 games and completed 1,664 passes over 19,407 yards. He made 141 touchdowns and 52 interceptions and got sacked 140 times. 

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Stafford’s revised contract was designed to give both sides flexibility. Rather than committing to a fully guaranteed long-term deal for a quarterback who will turn 39 in February 2027, the Rams included rolling guarantee triggers after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. That structure allows the team and Stafford to reassess the partnership on a year-to-year basis.

In the meantime, Stafford remains among the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks. He is set to earn $40 million in 2026 and will receive a fully guaranteed $5 million roster bonus in March 2027. If he’s still on the roster by the third day of the 2027 league year, his $45 million base salary for that season, along with a $5 million roster bonus for 2028, will automatically become fully guaranteed.

Overall, LA has been like a lucky charm for the quarterback. Even his wife, Kelly, seemed to be in love with the place. 

“There’s a lot to do in Los Angeles, like, people are supporting [us],” Kelly Stafford said in an interview two years ago. “We’re going to stay here when [Matthew retires]; we love it here [and] our kids love it here. We’ve immersed ourselves in the community that’s around us, which has been amazing.” 

And the contract extension gave Stafford a bit more time to think about the post-retirement plans. But with the QB officially locking down the starting job for the foreseeable future, Ty Simpson’s future has come under scrutiny. Thankfully, Stafford has something to give to the rookie quarterback. 

How does Matthew Stafford plan on helping Ty Simpson?

Matthew Stafford has actively embraced his role as a mentor for Simpson. After all, he will be the one to replace the veteran upon his retirement. As the conversation with McAfee continued, Stafford explained that he loved watching Simpson during his collegiate career. And now, as a senior at the NFL, he’d help the rookie with his experience. 

“I’m in there with him in the meeting room, on the practice field, trying to share as much knowledge as I can,” Stafford told McAfee. “Listen, I was a big fan of Ty when he was playing at Alabama,” the veteran quarterback continued. “I sent him a text after he got drafted and said, ‘Really enjoyed watching you play. ‘Just, you were just in the wrong jersey.’ … I did enjoy watching him play. He’s a talented kid.” 

“I’m going to do everything I can to get this team ready to play, to win, but at the same time, share some of the knowledge that I’ve gained throughout my career because I wouldn’t be in the seat that I am right now, talking to you guys after a really good football season, if I didn’t have people that were helping me out along the way, too,” he continued. “So I’m happy to do that.”

And Simpson has been like a sponge. He’s deliberately trying to get better and he’s eager to learn. That’s something Stafford seemed to value a lot as he confessed his pride in the young guys in the team. 

Stafford currently enjoys the absolute peak of his professional and personal life in Los Angeles. But we still need to see how he performs before passing the torch to Simpson.