Will Matthew Stafford Retire? Los Angeles Rams QB’s Profession Below Highlight After One other Devastating Playoff Loss
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was the second-oldest quarterback to start out the vast majority of his staff’s video games in 2024, behind solely Aaron Rodgers. As Stafford approaches his thirty seventh birthday, what’s the case for and in opposition to him persevering with his profession with a fifth season in Los Angeles?
Why Matthew Stafford May Maintain Enjoying
Stafford was wholesome in 2024 and fairly productive. It was the primary time he didn’t miss a recreation attributable to harm for the reason that 2021 season (he sat out the staff’s Week 18 contest this season in a coach’s choice).
Whereas his counting stats weren’t spectacular, most of Stafford’s charge stats have been comparable or barely improved in comparison with 2023. He elevated his completion proportion (62.6% in 2023 to 65.8% this season) and success charge (47.6% to 49.0%) whereas reducing his interception charge (2.1% to 1.5%). The interception charge was Stafford’s lowest in any season of his profession (excluding the 2010 season when he performed solely three video games).
The Rams have a robust supporting solid able to aiding Stafford as he ages. Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams are all beneath contract for subsequent season. Los Angeles additionally has ample cap room due to a really younger and low-cost protection, giving them a number of avenues to additional enhance the staff. Spotrac estimates the Rams with slightly below $59 million in cap area for 2025, the Tenth-most getting into this offseason.
By way of draft belongings, the Rams gained’t have their second-round decide attributable to buying and selling up for defensive deal with Braden Fiske final 12 months. Nonetheless, they’ve an additional third-round compensatory decide already on account of the Falcons hiring Raheem Morris as their head coach.
Sean McVay has proven no indicators of departing, giving the Rams an especially excessive flooring. Since McVay arrived in 2017, the Rams have made the playoffs six of eight seasons and had a profitable season seven instances. As well as, Los Angeles has had a top-10 scoring offense in half of these eight seasons.
The 2024 Rams solely completed Twentieth in scoring offense, however PFN’s Offense+ metric suggests they carried out at a better stage than that. Los Angeles ranked eleventh total with a 79.5 (C+) grade in that metric. Since Stafford arrived in Los Angeles in 2021, the Rams have ranked sixth, seventh, and eleventh in Offense+ in the course of the quarterback’s wholesome seasons (they have been twenty fifth in 2022 when Stafford solely performed 9 video games).
Why Stafford May Retire
Whereas Stafford’s manufacturing was largely strong, some indicators counsel he might be on the decline. PFN’s QB+ metric gave Stafford a 71.9 (C-) grade, which ranked twenty second this season. That was his second-lowest for the reason that metric started in 2019, behind his injury-shortened 2022 season (64.6). Since main the NFL in QB+ in 2021, Stafford has not cracked the highest 10.
Matthew Stafford QB+ by Season With Rams
- 2021: 93.4 (A), 1st
- 2022: 64.6 (D), twenty sixth
- 2023: 79.4 (C+), 14th
- 2024: 71.9 (C-), twenty second
General, Stafford’s manufacturing for the reason that Tremendous Bowl-winning season has principally hovered round league common. From 2022-24, he ranks sixteenth in EPA per dropback (0.06) and twelfth in success charge (48%). Even for those who simply have a look at the final two seasons to exclude his injury-shortened 2022 season, Stafford ranks Thirteenth in EPA per dropback (0.09) and Thirteenth in success charge (48.3%) from 2023-24.
Extensive receiver accidents didn’t assist, however Stafford wasn’t almost as efficient producing huge performs. Solely 13.2% of his completions went for 20+ yards in 2024, down from 19.0% in 2023. He was additionally much less efficient throwing deep. Stafford’s completion proportion on 20+ air-yard throws dipped from 47% in 2023 to 42% this previous season.
Stafford’s largest space of concern is one which displays his age and lack of mobility. When pressured, Stafford averaged -0.46 EPA per dropback, which ranked twenty eighth out of 36 gamers. He was nonetheless efficient when stored clear, rating seventh in EPA per dropback when stored clear (0.31). Nonetheless, that signifies that Stafford suffered the third-largest decline in EPA per dropback when pressured, behind solely Joe Flacco and Jalen Hurts.
As he ages, Stafford is more and more reliant on his offensive line. He scrambled just one.2% of the time when pressured this season, the bottom charge of any qualifying quarterback.
The Rams have been a roughly common offensive line in move safety. Los Angeles was the Thirteenth-ranked unit in PFN’s offensive line rankings this common season. The Rams allowed the ninth-lowest non-blitz stress charge (29.7%), however a few of that was attributable to Stafford getting the ball out rapidly. By ESPN’s Cross Block Win Price metric, the Rams have been the Twentieth-ranked staff in move safety.
Left deal with Alaric Jackson and versatile backup Joseph Noteboom are each free brokers. Whereas the Rams actually have the wage cap area to hold on to Jackson particularly, any additional defections or an absence of enchancment alongside the road may enlarge Stafford’s harm danger.
