Matthew Stafford’s career began as a No. 1 overall pick of the Detroit Lions and included a Super Bowl title with the Los Angeles Rams, and now the 37-year-old could be nearing the end.

Stafford has put the Rams in the thick of the playoff race this season, leading the NFC West at 8-6, but The Athletic’s Jeff Howe speculated that this could be Stafford’s last act in the NFL. Howe speculated that the Rams may need to start thinking about what comes next, suggesting they could look to free agency to find a replacement.

Rams Could Start Planning Now

Howe noted that Stafford has already reached an advanced age for an NFL quarterback, which could put a ticking clock to his time left with the Rams.

“Stafford turns 37 in February, so the Rams need to be diligent about finding his successor because retirement is always on the table for a player of that age,” Howe wrote. “If Stafford retires this offseason, the Rams should get involved in the veteran market, whether they attempt to trade for Cousins or sign Darnold. But they can’t ignore the draft, either.”

Stafford came to the Rams in a blockbuster trade with the Lions in 2021, leading them to a Super Bowl in the next season. He has had an efficient season in 2024, completing 66.3% of his passes for 3,463 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

As Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports noted, Stafford renegotiated his contract in the offseason to leave the door open for a potential exit from Los Angeles.

“Stafford’s revised deal includes a $12.5 million signing bonus, $23.5 million guaranteed this year and a $4 million guaranteed March roster bonus, according to NFL Media,” Dajani wrote. “Essentially, Stafford signed off on a one-year, $40 million deal after he gave up his 2025 guarantees. By doing his deal this way, Stafford gives himself the ability to sign an entirely new contract next offseason.”

Trade Worked Well for Lions Too

The Lions have made out well from the 2021 trade, landing quarterback Jared Goff who has helped build a Super Bowl contender in Detroit. The Lions lead the NFC at 12-2, in the driver’s season for the top overall seed and a playoff bye.

Goff has shaped the Lions into the league’s top-scoring offense, connecting on a career-best 71.4% of his passes for 3,759 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Though the Lions lost to the Buffalo Bills in a 48-42 shootout last week, Goff told reporters after the game that it shows how far the team has come in the last four seasons.

“It’s funny because it’s relative, right? Because adversity two years ago is different than adversity right now. So, watching [Campbell] stand in the storm at 1–6 and 3–13 or whatever we were that first year, that’s what, for me, makes his words mean so much more now when we’re 12–2 facing our first loss in the last 12 weeks,” Goff said, via SI.com. “So if that’s our adversity right now, we’ll be just fine, we’ll handle it, we’ll move on, but I think when he stands in front of the room, people listen, and the way that we handle adversity as a team has been pretty good.”