SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFC Championship NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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Cole Sullivan

By Cole Sullivan

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Since being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, Matthew Stafford has faced the Seattle Seahawks at least twice each season — and this year, the two teams met three times, with their most recent clash coming just over two weeks ago in the NFC Championship Game.

Seattle escaped with a 31-27 victory, eliminating the Rams from postseason contention. Over the weekend, Stafford and his teammates had to watch as the Seahawks went on to dominate the New England Patriots and capture the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco.

For Stafford, though, the outcome was not a surprise. On the Let’s Go! Sirius XM podcast, he offered his perspective on the game.

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“It went about as I expected, to be honest with you,” Stafford said. “New England’s defense kept them in it for as long as they could. Seattle moved the ball well, but once they crossed the 50, they stalled a couple of times. Honestly, it could have been less close than it ended up being.”

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFC Championship NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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It’s always a tough pill to swallow watching a division rival win the Super Bowl — especially for the Rams, who were just a few plays away from being in Seattle’s shoes. With the way the Patriots performed, there’s little doubt that L.A. had what it would have taken to knock them off.

That’s not how the chips fell, but there was good news for the Rams. After being named NFL MVP at age 37 last Thursday night at the NFL Honors, Stafford announced he would be returning for the 2026 season. His announcement was met with cheers from teammates Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, as well as head coach Sean McVay, who were all in attendance for the event.

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