Will Matthew Stafford retire prematurely because of concussions?

On Sunday evening, I began writing about how Los Angeles Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford could retire prematurely after suffering his second concussion in three weeks. It appears I was not the only one considering the idea as Pat MacAfee and Ian Rapoport discussed Stafford’s future on The Pat MacAfee Show on Monday afternoon.

That leaves the fan base wondering: will Matthew Stafford play football for the Los Angeles Rams again? Here are three reasons he will and will not play after the latest setback.

3 Reasons why he will retire:

1. He is a Super Bowl Champion

Similar to Aaron Donald’s retirement rumors this past offseason, Matthew Stafford is a Super Bowl Champion and has experienced the greatest moment one can experience in the National Football League. Once a player wins a ring, it can be hard to find or replicate the drive to be all-in. At this point, Matt Stafford has been in the league for 14 years and has risen to become one of the most successful quarterbacks. He took a disaster Detroit Lions franchise to the playoffs. He has thrown for 52,082 yards (11th all-time) and 333 touchdowns (12th all-time). Stafford helped the Rams hoist the Lombardi trophy in his first year with the team. What more could a player want in his career?

2. Kelly Stafford, his wife, has undergone brain surgery

In 2019, Kelly Stafford was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma. She had a 12-hour surgery removing a benign tumor that caused her to lose balance spontaneously. Why is this significant? If there is anyone in the family concerned over head trauma it would be Kelly!

She went through the trauma and the post-surgery recover and would be the first one to tell Matthew off the dangers of a significant head injury. She already took to social media once after Matthew’s first concussion after Week 9.

3. Four children

Players have families and Matt Stafford is the father of four young girls. It is easy to undervalue this piece, but I imagine Matthew and Kelly will sit down this offseason to discuss his future with football and the direction they may want to go as a family.

3 Reasons why he will not retire:

1. Natural competitor

If you had to choose one quarterback that has put his body on the line every week while wearing an NFL uniform, it is Matthew Stafford. He loves the game of football, and his competitive nature is matched by only a few.

It would be hard to walk away from the game because of injuries. Most athletes want to walk away under their own terms even if it means one more season for a farewell tour...

2. Sean McVay & Cooper Kupp

Very rarely does a player get the opportunity to have a coach like Sean McVay and an all-pro wide receiver and future hall of famer in Cooper Kupp. This is what Stafford had to say about Kupp’s ability when comparing his former teammate, Calvin Johnson and his current teammate in LA:

Cooper, not the same out-of-the-box player, but I have unbelievable chemistry with him and I spend so much time with him, we work so hard together on trying to get this thing going in the right direction.” - Geoff Magliochetti from Sports Illustrated

3. Salary

Matthew Stafford’s extension doesn’t really kick in until 2024. His salary numbers are as follows:

• $20.0 million (2023)
• $49.5 million (2024)
• $50.5 million (2025)
• $49.5 million (2026)

Those final three years are hefty figures. Athletes have never been shy in padding their wallets.