I have over twenty years of experience in fitness, and my opinion is that you should only stretch muscles that are too tight, shortened from too much flexion, or otherwise imbalanced.
You should get a functional movement assessment from a fitness professional to determine which muscles are short and tight. Those muscles are the ones you should stretch before and after exercise. You can stretch them every day, and once a day is enough. Hold your stretches for 10 to 20 seconds.
When you stretch, you allow your joints to move in orthopedic ranges of motion. It’s important to increase your range of motion and be flexible because you are constantly needing to “load and explode” muscles in different positions. Just getting out of a chair or sofa can be hard if you have tight legs. If you are an athlete, it’s even more important to be flexible. For example, if you’re a golfer and you have tight shoulders and hips, you’ll never have an efficient backswing.
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