Rams fans can see Matthew Stafford isn't ready to hang it up just yet

Matthew Stafford's face tells conflicting tales. If you focus on his ever-whitening beard, you might assume that Los Angeles Rams' 38-year-old quarterback is competing in his last season, already planning a well-deserved retirement surrounded by his wife and daughters.

But if you focus on his eyes, you'll see a competitive fire burning as brightly as ever. If you listen to him speak, it's impossible to ignore. Note what he had to say about the season and his relationship with head coach Sean McVay in a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show:

"Sean McVay challenges me, and I think I challenge him as well," Stafford said. "I've just loved being in a foxhole with him. He's been in my ear since I got here, and I love going to battle with him."

Those are not the words of a quarterback who has already checked out and plans to hang up his cleats at season's end.

Matthew Stafford is still among the NFL's best quarterbacks

It may be tough to grasp, but Stafford has been playing for a rather long time. He spent 12 years with the Detroit Lions and is now in his sixth season for the Rams. So why isn't he ready to hang it up? Well, he just set the Rams franchise record for passing touchdowns, and he needed under five-and-a-half seasons to do it.

Of course, he still needs 2,362 passing yards to pass Jim Everett for the most in franchise history. So it's not as though Stafford has done it all. He has plenty of goals to accomplish. How long can he keep this up? That's the million-dollar question.

Stafford has thrown for nearly 2,000 passing yards and 14 touchdowns already this season. But he has thrown seven interceptions, which is a bit alarming. Over the past three seasons, Stafford has averaged just nine interceptions per year. Obviously, he's on pace to smash that average.

Still, he's no slouch; don't be fooled by an ugly heave here or there. Stafford remains among the NFL's top passers, and LA's offense still loves to pass. With their future quarterback already on the roster, the Rams can leave it up to Stafford to decide how long he wants to play.

Ironically, Ty Simpson may be on the bench for longer than expected, depending on how long No. 9 keeps going.

As always, thanks for reading.

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