Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford Earns First Nfl Mvp Honor, Makes Big Announcement

SAN FRANCISCO — Rams backmost Matthew Stafford will beryllium backmost for an 18th NFL season.

And he’ll do it arsenic nan reigning NFL astir valuable player.

On Thursday night, Stafford was announced arsenic nan MVP during NFL Honors astatine nan Palace of Fine Arts.

And past he made a large announcement of his own.

Rams backmost Matthew Stafford warms up earlier facing nan Carolina Panthers successful nan NFC playoffs connected Jan. 10.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Stafford, wearing a achromatic tuxedo pinch a achromatic garment and achromatic front tie, accepted nan grant connected shape pinch his 4 young daughters, who attended astir games this season. He thanked his wife, Kelly; family; teammates; coaches; and those who helped him scope nan milestone.

“I’m truthful happy to person you astatine nan games connected nan sideline pinch maine and I can’t hold for you to cheer maine connected adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile we’re kicking a—,” Stafford said to his daughters, earlier turning his attraction to nan audience.

“And truthful I’ll spot you guys adjacent year,” he said arsenic a crowd that included coach Sean McVay and respective teammates began to roar. “Hopefully, I’m not astatine this arena and we’re getting fresh for different crippled astatine SoFi.”

Super Bowl LXI will beryllium played astatine nan Rams’ location stadium, wherever they won Super Bowl LVI to headdress nan 2021 season.

After Stafford said pinch reporters connected Thursday, he told The Times that he had discussed his determination pinch his family and knew that he wanted to travel back. He said he said pinch McVay and wide head Les Snead “about really that mightiness look and really it mightiness go,” and past decided to fto nan world know.

“I figured, ‘Shoot, I don’t really do nan societal media point — this will beryllium an easier measurement to fto everyone cognize really I’m feeling,’” he told The Times.

McVay told The Times he was alert of Stafford’s intent to return, but “we wanted to make it dramatic.”

Mission accomplished.

Stafford’s winning nan grant eased immoderate of nan symptom of losing nan NFC title to nan Seattle Seahawks, McVay said. And gave him assurance astir nan Rams’ outlook for adjacent season.

“I’ll show you what, man,” McVay said. “That’s nan commencement to everything, is your backmost position. And to beryllium capable to person a feline that’s playing arsenic bully arsenic he’s ever played — and it’s sustainable.

“And you cognize he’s loving it. He’s surrounded by a awesome group of guys and we person a batch of continuity coming back. You commencement each over, but man, erstwhile he says he’s in, that gives you a batch of assurance and excitement of really we tin move forward.

“So, really happy for him. He’s nan astir humble superstar I’ve ever been around, and it’s really cool. So if we can’t beryllium playing, this is simply a bully consolation process.”

Stafford, a 17-year veteran, won nan grant by finishing up of New England backmost Drake Maye successful balloting by a sheet of 50 journalists who regularly screen nan NFL. The sheet is assembled by nan Associated Press. Los Angeles Times reporters do not participate successful voting for awards.

Stafford, who turns 38 connected Saturday, worked done a backmost rumor that sidelined him for each of training campy and passed for a league-best 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards. He led nan Rams to a 12-5 grounds and directed an discourtesy that led nan convention successful scoring and yards per game.

Stafford besides engineered precocious game-winning drives successful playoff victories complete nan Carolina Panthers and nan Chicago Bears earlier nan Rams suffered a 31-27 conclusion by nan Seahawks successful nan NFC championship.

Stafford, nan apical prime successful nan 2009 draft, played 12 seasons for nan Detroit Lions earlier he was traded to nan Rams successful 2021 for Jared Goff, 2 first-round draught picks and a third-round pick.

He told reporters that nan years pinch nan Lions “hardened” him and sewage him to a spot successful his profession and life “where I felt for illustration thing was really going to sound maine out. It whitethorn sound maine down, but it wasn’t going to sound maine out.”

In his first play pinch nan Rams, Stafford led them to a Super Bowl title. Now he is an MVP.

“I can’t beryllium present and show you that 5 years agone I thought, ‘Hey, I’d beryllium a Super Bowl champ and a convention MVP,’” he said. “I’m conscionable humbled that that’s moreover nan case. To beryllium honest, it doesn’t moreover consciousness for illustration my sanction should beryllium successful that breath. But I americium proud of nan guys and proud of nan accomplishments we’ve been capable to achieve.”

The MVP grant was thing of validation for a subordinate who ranks sixth all-time successful completions (5,562), yards passing (64,516) and is seventh successful touchdown passes (423), but besides shies from nan spotlight.

Rams backmost Matthew Stafford arrives pinch his family astatine nan NFL Honors awards show successful San Francisco connected Thursday.

(Maddie Knight / Associated Press)

Before Thursday night’s ceremony, Stafford walked nan reddish carpet pinch his woman and daughters, nan young girls each wearing akin dresses.

“They’re astir apt much excited than I am, to beryllium honorable pinch you,” Stafford told The Times arsenic his family made their measurement to nan theatre for nan program. “They get to get each dressed up and locomotion nan reddish carpet, that’s their deal, truthful I’m happy to person them here.”

A fewer hours later, Stafford was connected shape accepting nan MVP award.

McVay and his wife, Veronika, attended nan ceremony. Rams receiver Puka Nacua, a finalist for violative subordinate of nan year, and moving backmost Kyren Williams, a finalist for nan Walter Payton NFL Man of nan Year award, besides attended on pinch information Quentin Lake.

Now Stafford will beryllium spending astatine slightest 1 much play together pinch them.

“Just felt right,” he said, “and happy to beryllium coming back.”