Matthew Stafford will remain the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams for the foreseeable future after the two sides officially agreed to a new deal this offseason.
Stafford can now make $84 million over the next two years so long as he stays on the roster. So, Stafford can now earn $44 million in 2025 and $40 million in 2026 instead of his previous deal which would have made him $58 over that stretch.
If this new deal looks familiar, it’s because it kind of is—for the Rams, anyway.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said Stafford’s extension is similar to what the Rams did with Aaron Donald in 2022. The Rams re-negotiated Donald’s extension to give him more money without altering the amount of years on his deal.
That precedent — giving a star player a raise without changing the years — set up Stafford to do the same three yers later.
“The reason this one is similar because it’s rare that a team will give a player a raise without getting something in return in the form of years of control on the back-end of the contract,” Breer said. “This is not an extension that Matthew Stafford is doing. What Aaron Donald did in 2022 is not an extension either. It’s a $40 million raise.”
Despite the amount of extra money, this is a good deal for both sides. Stafford gets to stay in L.A. and the Rams get stability on offense. For all intents and purposes, it’s a win-win.
The hope, now, is that the 37-year-old can continue to play at a high-enough level to keep the Rams in Super Bowl contention for the duration of his contract. The Rams made moves to try and ensure that, between re-signing Alaric Jackson, signing center Coleman Shelton and signing receiver Davante Adams.