It seems like an eternity has passed since the Detroit Lions parted ways with Matthew Stafford in a mega deal with the Los Angeles Rams that sent the longtime Lions quarterback to Los Angeles and brought Jared Goff to the Motor City. But, it’s only been a few years, and Stafford is still one of the big franchise quarterbacks in the league.
Some thought Stafford would retire after the 2024-25 season, but that wasn’t the case, and he’s back for another run with the Rams. But Stafford, 37, is getting up there in age for a quarterback in the NFL. Not that 37 is old by any means, but football is so hard on the body, so players usually retire in their 30s, sometimes even earlier.
So, not many NFL players decide to play into their 40s. With Stafford getting close, many have thought that this, for sure, would be his final run. Now, one NFL analyst is making a bold prediction that could mean Stafford sticks around to be the Lions’ nemesis even longer.
Matthew Stafford Gets Unexpected Prediction
In a June 24 feature for CBS Sports, Tyler Sullivan names 10 NFL players who he thinks could be entering their final year.
In the feature, he talks about Aaron Rodgers already saying this will likely be his final year, adding, “While our collective jaws got nowhere near close to the floor upon hearing this news from Rodgers, he may not be the only one looking at the 2025 season as his final go around, and some who do decide to call it a career after this year could surprise us.”
One of the guys who he mentions in the feature, of course, is Stafford. He actually predicts that Stafford will not retire after this season.
“Stafford’s tenure with the Rams nearly came to an end this offseason as the veteran quarterback flirted with other prospective teams before ultimately deciding to reunite with the Rams via a two-year extension,” he states in the piece. “So, Stafford is technically under contract through 2026, but retirement has loomed over him over the last few years as well.”
He adds that, as mentioned above, Stafford will be 37 during the 2025 season, “so him deciding to walk away after this year wouldn’t be too surprising. That said, Stafford is still playing at an extremely high level, and the Rams are expected to be in the thick of the Super Bowl conversation through his remaining contract. With that in mind, outside of injury reasons, it’d likely be hard to walk away with this team once again knocking on the door.”
That just means more NFC playoff games against this familiar face, when many in the Lions’ camp are tired of that narrative.
Jared Goff and Detroit
Meanwhile, Goff is showing just how much he loves Detroit. On Monday, June 30, the WNBA announced that the investing group headed up by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and also including Goff and Detroit Lions team owner Sheila Hamp were approved for a WNBA expansion team starting in the 2029 season.
In addition to Gores, Goff and Hamp, investors involved in the expansion team include former NBA players Grant Hill and Chris Webber, rapper Eminem and General Motors CEO Mary Barra.
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