It was unclear if Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams were going to remain together after the team gave its Super Bowl champion starting quarterback permission to gauge his value with other teams around the league.
However, cooler heads prevailed and the two sides agreed on a restructured contract to keep Stafford satisfied and with Los Angeles in 2025 as the team announced the two-time Pro Bowler is back.
The two sides reportedly met in Los Angeles on Friday, and a resolution ocurred. Stafford had two years remaining on his deal, but he only possessed $4 million in guaranteed salary in that span with zero guaranteed dollars for 2026. The Rams, who were just a play or two away from upsetting the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles in Philadelphia during the NFC divisional round, keep the band together for another run at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
This deal will have a ripple effect across the entire league. Both the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders, two quarterback-starved teams, reportedly had interest in the 37-year-old. Now, Aaron Rodgers’ market could heat up as more teams could see him in the same vein: a veteran bridge quarterback with perhaps a little drop of high level play left in his tank. Top free agent quarterback Sam Darnold will also likely benefit on his next deal after his first Pro Bowl season in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings.
