Matthew Stafford isn't just chasing another MVP season — he's chasing longevity. The Rams quarterback, who turned 38 this year, has been picking the brains of two NFL legends who mastered the art of playing into their 40s: Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
In a candid chat on Chris Long's Green Light podcast, Stafford opened up about his conversations with the future Hall of Famers and how their advice has reshaped his approach to the final chapters of his career. “I talked to [Brady] a little bit, I’ve talked to Drew Brees a little bit about it as well,” Stafford said.
Stafford made it clear he's taking a year-by-year approach, refusing to lock himself into a long-term commitment that could shortchange either himself or the team. “It is year-to-year because I think it’s fair to the team, I think it’s fair to me, my family — I don’t want to sit there and say, OK, 24 months from now, I’ve got to be ready to play another football season. I’m like, phew, that just seems like a lot,” he explained.
“The last thing I want to do is sign some five-year extension, and after one year be like, ‘Oh man, I’m ready to retire. I want to spend time with my family.’ And they’re sitting there with four years on the books and had a bunch of planning done that I was going to be around. I don’t want to play football not all the way in it, too, and just be half-assed leading it.”
Brees, who completed over 72% of his passes with 51 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions after turning 40, gave Stafford a surprising vote of confidence. “I think one of the things that surprised me is, I was talking to Drew — this was before last season — and he was like, ‘How old are you, again?’ I was like, ‘I’m 37.’ He’s like, ‘You might have your best five years of your career coming up,’” Stafford recalled.
That message flipped a switch for the veteran signal-caller. “I never really thought about it that way. You’re taught as a player in this league it’s a young man’s game and the older you get, you’re just kind of doing everything you can to try to stay up to par with everybody else. And Drew saying that kind of lit a fire under me, and it gives you a little bit of belief that maybe an old guy can go out there and spin it around a little bit.”
Brady, of course, played six seasons after his 40th birthday, winning multiple Super Bowls along the way. Stafford's chats with both legends underscore a growing trend of NFL quarterbacks redefining what's possible at the tail end of their careers. It's a page straight out of the playbook of Tom Brady, who has become a symbol of athletic longevity.
“Obviously, last year was a successful year for our team and for myself,” Stafford said. “And just gives you a little bit of energy moving forward and hope that that continues.”
With a refreshed mindset and guidance from two of the best to ever do it, Stafford is betting that his best football might still be ahead. And if Brees and Brady are any indication, he just might be right.
