The Los Angeles Rams lost on the road against divisional rival Seattle Seahawks 31-27. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold played through a lingering oblique injury and had a productive game against the fifth-ranked Los Angeles defense, per PFSN’s Defense Impact metrics. He threw for 346 yards passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay addressed a reporter who asked him whether Matthew Stafford would return to the team next season. While McVay did answer the question, let’s just say that he didn’t really take too kindly to it.
Sean McVay Calls Out Reporter Following Loss at NFC Championship Game
In speaking with reporters after the loss, McVay was asked if Stafford would return to the Rams next season. As posted by Kimberley Martin on X (formerly Twitter), McVay said, “Yeah, if he still wants to play-what the hell kind of question is that?”
The reporter tried to interject, but McVay quickly added, “You’d have to ask him, we’ve been totally present. He’s the MVP of the league, and if he’s not, you know, I got respect for everybody else, but this guy played at a level that’s just different.”
Before leaving the podium, he said to reporters, “I appreciate you guys, thank you.”
Does Sean McVay expect Matthew Stafford to come back next year?
“Yeah, if he still wants to play — what the hell kind of question is that?” #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ElkfdgXkWm
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 26, 2026
A late taunting penalty against Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen flipped the game on its head as the Rams were getting life offense; however, Seattle was able to overcome the miscue with a late-game stop to punch their ticket to another Super Bowl.
Stafford had one of his best games in the playoffs against the Seahawks’ defense, throwing for 374 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Rams’ loss put a sad ending to the competitive NFC West trilogy, in which the teams split their regular-season series.
The Rams got the ball early in the fourth quarter and got to the Seahawks’ six-yard line. However, Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon knocked down a third-down pass to Konata Mumpfield and a fourth-down pass to Terrance Ferguson.
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Seattle then took 4 1/2 minutes off the clock before the Rams got back with 25 seconds left at their seven-yard line. After two passes to Nacua to get to midfield, the clock ran out on the Rams’ season. On the last play, Nacua caught a pass but got tackled in bounds, keeping the clock active, and eventually running out.
Stafford enjoyed arguably the best football season of his career, boasting career highs in 46 touchdowns, a 65% completion rate, and a 109.2 passer rating. He also did an outstanding job taking care of the football, posting his second-lowest interception percentage.
It’s not surprising that he is the likely 2025 NFL MVP with his performance this year.
In two weeks, Stafford will be 38 years old, and his birthday is the day before Super Bowl 60 kicks off on Feb 8. Only three quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl at age 38 or older: John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. Stafford has already won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and he will likely return to try and get another next year.
