Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has regressed a ton this year and has been injured. Could he call it a career at the end of 2022? Many saw the Rams’ offseason this past year and thought that they were a prime candidate to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
However, they aren’t even going to make the playoffs in 2022, something that is rarely seen from a prior year champion. One of the main reasons for the regression is the offensive line, which has been injured and has largely failed to protect Matthew Stafford.
Stafford has battled injuries throughout his career. He’s played through a ton and has not missed many games based on the injuries he’s had. However, this year’s injuries appear to be more serious. His neck and concussion issues have landed him on injured reserve.
Questions started popping up here and there as to whether or not Stafford would actually come back next year. He’s well into his 30s, has kids, and his wife, Kelly, has had brain surgery of her own, so the head issues that Stafford has had might hit home more.
He’s 3-6 as the Rams’ starter this year. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes against eight interceptions for a weak 87.4 rating. He’ll also be 35 in February and is slowly approaching that “old” age, even for quarterbacks.
Could he legitimately decide that it’s time to hang it up? He did win a Super Bowl last year, which was the main goal of his being traded away from the Detroit Lions. He’s got a 4-3 playoff record and a passer rating of over 100 in those seven games.
There really isn’t much more for Stafford to do in the NFL in all honesty. He’s 11th all-time in passing yards and 12th all-time in passing touchdowns. He’s won 93 games in his career and has made hundreds of millions of dollars.
Is this the end for Matthew Stafford?