After gauging interest from teams around the NFL this offseason, Matthew Stafford decided to stay with the Los Angeles Rams for at least one more year when he agreed to a reworked deal in February. He finally signed his contract last week, which will pay him $26 million more in the next two years than he was slated to make, but he did leave money on the table.
Just as Sean McVay said earlier this offseason, Stafford “made some sacrifices” to stay with the Rams and the numbers now prove that. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Stafford walked away from $20 million to remain in L.A., where he signed a two-year deal that will essentially pay him $80 million in 2025 and 2026.
Both the Raiders and Giants were willing to pay him at least $100 million in the next two years, had Stafford opted to be traded to either organization. Instead of starting over with a rebuilding franchise, Stafford chose to stay with the team he led to a Super Bowl three years ago.
O.K., with that established, it’s still significantly less than he could’ve made. With the Raiders and Giants willing to exceed $100 million over the next two years, he walked away from around $20 million stay in California. You can say, Well, look how much he’s made already! But $20 million is $20 million. And so that makes this a little like the final deals that Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady signed—where those guys took a little less to stay put.
Stafford has the second-most career earnings of any player in NFL history, making $364 million during his time in the NFL. The only player who’s made more is Aaron Rodgers, who’s earned $381.7 million, according to Over The Cap.
This isn’t to say Stafford should be OK taking less money, but it’s clear he prioritized stability and team success over a larger contract. As a 37-year-old quarterback who’s nearing the end of his career, he’d rather chase a Super Bowl over a check, aiming to strengthen his Hall of Fame candidacy.