Why is Matthew Stafford not playing tonight for the Rams vs. Broncos in Week 16's Sunday games?

Matthew Stafford is at a crossroads in his impressive NFL career, as the defending Super Bowl quarterback is being forced to answer some awkward questions.

It all started with a couple of niggling injuries, keeping him from performing at full strength. However, on closer examination, the Los Angeles Rams' medical team discovered that their No. 1 quarterback had a spinal cord contusion.

Some Twitter physicians and armchair medical doctors have given their two cents, but Strafford is blocking out all the noise. The Rams are already eliminated from the playoff picture, so what's the point?

As such, Matthew Stafford is not playing against the Denver Broncos tonight because of his health. The former Detroit Lion shot caller is battling a neck injury and spinal cord contusion. With his team out of the playoff picture, he can now focus on rehabilitation and getting set for the 2023 NFL season.

Matthew Stafford's fantasy outlook

Matthew Stafford was a statistical marvel and a fantasy football hit last season. That is largely thanks to his fitness and the Rams' conquest of every threat in front of them. However, this season has been the polar opposite, with Stafford and his key weapons suffering one season-ending injury after another. With that being the case, Stafford has slid down the fantasy league rankings and will surely drop even further at the end of Week 16.

The reigning Super Bowl champion will have an entire offseason to return to health, where he should slot in as the signal caller for the Rams again in 2023. As for the questions about retirement, Stafford has reiterated that he's not going anywhere anytime soon, despite having a four-year, $160 million contract which happens to be fully guaranteed from injury.

How is Matthew Stafford performing this season?

Matthew Stafford has done his best to ensure the Rams stay respectable this season. However, there's only so much that Stafford could do, as last year's defending Super Bowl champions stepped into quicksand from the first week.

The injuries are piling up, Sean McVay isn't looking like himself, and rival teams are going against them with a vengeance.

Stafford has put up a stat line of 2,087 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in nine games this season.