Rob Havenstein spent 11 years in the NFL blocking for the Los Angeles Rams, including the past five with Matthew Stafford. And despite Havenstein himself retiring after the 2025 season at the age of 34, he doesn’t think his former quarterback is slowing down anytime soon despite Stafford entering Year 18 at the age of 38.
“He’s such a competitor. And he’s showing no signs [of slowing down],” Havenstein said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “And usually guys will kind of drop hints about kind of wanting to hang it up. I haven’t seen that from him. You know, all last year he’s still making plays in practice, and you know, you just hear him under his breath, and you’re like, ‘Man, that was a dime.’ He’s talking to himself, and so he’s still having fun doing it.
“I don’t see why he can’t play another three, four years if he wants to.”
Havenstein pointed to Stafford’s health, his competitive streak and the fact that his kids have grown up around football season as reasons he could keep playing. He also noted that Los Angeles is home for Stafford in a way that makes the year-round football schedule sustainable rather than a burden.
When the Lions traded him to the Rams in 2021 at age 33, Stafford figured he had maybe three good seasons left in the tank. Instead, he’s now entering his sixth year in Los Angeles, coming off a first-team All-Pro season and an MVP award at 37.
Head coach Sean McVay has echoed that outlook. Speaking at training camp, McVay pushed back on any notion that last year’s MVP campaign was a farewell tour, saying Stafford played the highest-quality football of his career and describing a quarterback who’s found a new stillness and ease in his game. McVay has said he believes Stafford is capable of playing longer than most people think, health permitting.
The Rams have also hedged their bets. They drafted quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round, giving the team an eventual successor to develop behind Stafford. But with Stafford signed through 2027 and both his head coach and longtime right tackle publicly bullish on his shelf life, that transition doesn’t appear imminent.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Former Matthew Stafford teammate says Rams QB can play 3-4 more years
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
