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ESPN writer predicts Stafford will retire after 2023 season…

November 10, 2023 05:27AM
ESPN writer predicts Matthew Stafford will retire after 2023 season

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva



Matthew Stafford has not had the cleanest bill of health in the last two years. Before the 2022 season, he was dealing with an elbow injury that prevented him from having a normal offseason of work. He then suffered a concussion during the season and was eventually placed on injured reserve due to a back injury.

This year, the injuries have piled up again. He suffered a hip injury earlier in the season and missed Week 9 with a torn UCL in his right thumb, an injury he’s had in the past. Stafford is as tough as anyone in the NFL, but at 35 years old, these injuries could be taking a toll on him.

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham certainly believes that to be true. In a piece where NFL experts and writers made predictions for the second half of the season, Wickersham said he believes Stafford will retire after this season.

These will be the final games of Matthew Stafford‘s career

To be clear, I have no inside information. But I watched how ready and optimistic Stafford was during the Rams’ training camp, and this season, while a known rebuild, has been brutal. It’s the second straight season in which he has gotten beat up every week, too, taking a sack on 7.5% of his dropbacks since the start of 2022. He has banked in the neighborhood of $300 million during his career. He has won a Super Bowl. And he has numbers that will merit serious Canton consideration. So factoring all that in, my prediction is that Stafford calls it a career after the season. — Seth Wickersham, NFL writer

Before this season began, some believed it would be Stafford’s last in the NFL. He’s 35 years old and has gotten knocked around due to poor protection along the offensive line. While the Rams improved in that area a bit this season, Stafford has taken 22 hits in seven and a half games.

Sean McVay sounds confident his quarterback will return in Week 11 after the team’s bye, but hopefully he can finish the season healthy because he’s gotten beaten up a little bit too much the last two seasons.
SubjectAuthorViewsPosted

  ESPN writer predicts Stafford will retire after 2023 season…

Rams43197November 10, 2023 05:27AM

  Re: ESPN writer predicts Stafford will retire after 2023 season…

Ramsdude81November 10, 2023 06:09AM

  Re: ESPN writer predicts Stafford will retire after 2023 season…

GRAM Torino72November 10, 2023 06:19AM

  And people need to remember. He has been BEAT TO HELL his entire career!

Ramgator52November 10, 2023 06:46AM

  Re: And people need to remember. He has been BEAT TO HELL his entire career!

dodgerram51November 10, 2023 06:55AM

  Lot of moving parts in this equation but I'd guess 2024 will be his last season

merlin53November 10, 2023 09:11AM

  no way he retires

Stafford953November 10, 2023 09:31AM