Rams may be stunned by what Matthew Stafford said in his MVP acceptance speech

As with any great William Shakespeare play, the question posed by every NFL insider, expert, analyst, and pundit to Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and his family was a simple one:

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

Of course, they were not referring to English theatre. Rather, this was a matter of interest for every NFL fan. Would Stafford be back for Los Angeles in 2026? The debate may not be over just yet. But evidence appeared out of nowhere during Matthew Stafford's MVP acceptance speech that has certainly tipped the debate strongly to one side of the debate.

Here is the video of his acceptance speech. While it was a standard menu of humbling thankfulness, fans would be well-rewarded to give it a watch for the duration. The 37-year-old starting quarterback for the Horns was awarded the greatest honor of on-field performance for the 2025 NFL season. But Stafford's speech has a hidden message for fans who have been anxiously awaiting some clue that he might be back.

That clue came when he thanked his daughters at the end:

"I am so happy to have you at the games, on the sideline with me, and I cannot wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking ass."

Matthew Stafford MVP acceptance speech

And there it is. The message to his daughters disguised his message to every fan everywhere. Sounds like he will be back. In fact, it's difficult to interpret that message any other way.

Rams Les Snead has his work cut out for him now

All signs now point to the team going all in to optimize whatever time remains in Stafford's career. General manager Les Snead already discussed the point, hinting that the girl-dad's willingness to return would set the stage for a more aggressive offseason and in-season strategy from his crew.

In fact, we have already highlighted some of the most likely tactics used this offseason to accomplish that. Keep in mind that building an MVP-worthy roster does not mean investing in the offense alone. The Cincinnati Bengals tried that in 2025, and the results were disastrous.

Snead knows the drill. He ramped up his urgency to ensure a Super Bowl ring would find its way to Aaron Donald's hand. He now has the same goal for his starting quarterback. What will that entail? We've already drafted a solid framework. But the golden rule is simple:

This team is about to defer addressing future needs for the present.

How does that take shape? Rather than draft a potential talent whose talent will peak four or five seasons from today, Snead and company will search for needed skills from players who can deliver in the present. That could be huge in this offseason.

This team is loaded with draft picks.

Matthew Stafford's MVP acceptance speech may have been standard fare for the audience and for NFL fans at large. But for LA Rams fans, the message is clear.

Get ready to cheer. Number 9 will be back, and hes hunting Super Bowls.

As always, thanks for reading.