Getty Images

Despite flirting with retirement, Sean McVay is set to return as the Rams' head coach in 2023. And all indications are that he'll have his quarterback with him. Los Angeles is expected to retain starter Matthew Stafford for at least one more season, according to ESPN, with plans to guarantee a combined $62 million due to the signal-caller over the next two years.

Stafford, who led the Rams to a Super Bowl title during his Los Angeles debut, missed the team's final seven games due to injury this season. He's officially under contract through 2026 after signing a four-year, $160M extension last offseason. But the Rams could've designated him a post-June 1 release this offseason in order to get a head start on a breakup, with a 2023 roster bonus ($31M) and 2024 base salary ($31M) set to be fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year this March.

Matthew Stafford
LAR • QB • #9
CMP%68.0
YDs2087
TD10
INT8
YD/Att6.89
View Profile

Instead, Stafford and the Rams are set for one more team-up, and hopefully a healthier one, after some of his top weapons, including left tackle Joe Noteboom and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, missed much of 2022 due to their own injuries. Stafford, himself, entered concussion protocol two different times before ending the year on injured reserve with a spinal cord contusion.

Despite fielding questions about his own retirement, Stafford repeatedly told reporters down the stretch he intended to return in 2023. McVay's return to the sidelines may have cemented his plans. During their first year together, in 2021, the longtime Lions QB flirted with MVP candidacy while throwing a career-high 41 touchdown passes.