How should the Los Angeles Rams handle the deal of Matthew Stafford?
With regard to Matthew Stafford’s contract, the LA Rams may soon have to make a significant choice.
With Matthew Stafford’s deal, the Los Angeles Rams may need to make a significant choice. Given that Stafford’s current contract was a four-year, $160 million extension signed more than two years ago, it is obvious that the market for quarterback contracts has expanded significantly since then.
In actuality, quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions have both inked contract extensions totaling $53 million and $55 million annually, respectively. Given that Stafford is in his 36th season as a quarterback, the LA Rams may need to handle this scenario with caution. Stafford probably believes he has one more opportunity to make money in his NFL career.
Given that he has three more seasons left on his deal, he will be a free agent in the NFL when he is 39. His contract’s cap hit has increased from $20 million to $49.5 million, more than doubling from the previous year’s amount. Given that an extension frees up more than $20 million in cap space in 2024, 2025, and 2026, it makes sound financial sense.
However, given Stafford’s advanced age and his lengthy history of injuries, what action should the Rams take in this situation? It should come as no surprise that he is going to want a raise, and given his superiority over Goff and Lawrence, he has a case to demand more than they received in their contracts.
Following the 2022 NFL season, the Rams allegedly attempted to transfer quarterback Matthew Stafford to the New York Jets. This suggests that LA already had one foot out the door with Stafford, who helped the franchise win a Super Bowl in 2021. Seeing what the Rams decide to do in this situation will be intriguing since a bad financial decision might put the franchise back several years.
However, Matthew Stafford deserves every bit of a team contract extension. Les Snead, the general manager, head coach Sean McVay, and Matthew Stafford are in a position that I am not at all envious of, but they will all need to find a solution at some point.
