Sean McVay Decision Will Not Impact Matthew Stafford's Rams Return Plan

Whether or not Sean McVay retires, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford says he will be playing again in 2023

Matt Galatzan | Jan 10, 2023

The shadow of head coach Sean McVay's potential retirement will continue to hang over the Los Angeles Rams franchise and its future plans until a decision is made.

However, one thing it will not affect, is Matthew Stafford's status with the franchise, with the star quarterback and captain telling reporters on Monday that he intends to return in 2023 regardless of McVay's decision.

The 34-year-old had already announced his return last month.

Stafford, of course, is particularly close with McVay and primarily came to Los Angeles because of his belief in him as a coach.

He was so confident in McVay, in fact, that he signed a four-year $160 million extension with $57 million guaranteed last march.

Despite that, the Rams had a dreadful 2022 Super Bowl defense, finish 5-12, and with Stafford missing a good portion of the season due to various injuries, including both an elbow issue and a spinal contusion.

Still, Stafford feels good about his health heading into the offseason, and eventually, OTAs.

“I feel really good about where I’m at," Stafford said of his health. “I had obviously the thumb a couple of years ago, and then elbow stuff that I wasn’t able to really participate in a whole lot of stuff when it comes to throwing the football for a long time,” Stafford said. “So to be able to do that at a way more regular pace, which is exciting for me as a player, that’s what I want to do. I want to be out there, I want to be able to throw and be a part of the team and do all that kind of stuff, so that’s exciting for me.”

Stafford finished the 2022 season completing 206 of 303 passes for 2,087 yards and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions in nine games.

He was also sacked 29 times in those nine games, which was the 16th most in the NFL, despite him missing nearly half the season.

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Published Jan 10, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com