The Rams and Matthew Stafford agreed on another reworked deal earlier this year, ending the trade storyline and ensuring the talented quarterback would return for a fifth season in Los Angeles. Some details on the QB’s contract adjustment have finally surfaced.
Stafford is still tied to a $40MM-per-year deal, but the Rams are boosting his guarantee total by a significant degree. Of the $80MM remaining on the contract, Stafford will see $56MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. This updated package includes $20MM guaranteed this year and, more significantly regarding the QB’s future, $16MM guaranteed in 2026.
It would now cost the Rams $35.37MM in 2026 dead money were they to trade Stafford before June 1 next year. The team also dropped Stafford’s cap number to $40.97MM via the use of void years. While Stafford’s contract still runs through 2026, eight void years are now included in the deal. They will spread out Stafford’s option bonuses through 2027, per OverTheCap. The QB’s 2025 cap hit was to be $49.67MM before this adjustment.
It took some doing to reach this point. The Rams allowed Stafford to explore trades, and the Giants and Raiders (among others) expressed interest to the point they had high-guarantee packages ready. New York and Las Vegas stayed in this race until the end, when the 37-year-old QB opted not to venture into an uncertain situation. After all, Sean McVay has played a big part in elevating the former No. 1 pick’s profile due to the team success the Rams have achieved since the January 2021 trade. Stafford leaving his L.A. setup to be part of less talented Giants or Raiders teams did not make that much sense, but the QB has sought a better deal in each of the past two offseasons. This included a $50MM-per-year ask this offseason. Rather than go there, the Rams will instead lock in much of the QB’s money remaining on his current contract.
Stafford landed here because he gave the Rams a discount upon signing a four-year, $160MM extension in 2022. The Super Bowl LVI winner could have pushed for more, given his status and where the market was headed at that time, but he left money on the table to help the Rams build a better roster around him. This soon led to the team rewarding Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. Stafford, however, likely grew to regret his decision — based on two years of angling for better arrangements.
The Giants were prepared to give Stafford a deal that included at least $50MM in per-year salary, while the Raiders’ Tom Brady-powered push was also believed to be high on guarantees. Both teams were viewed as willing to guarantee Stafford at least $90MM over two years. The Rams have not done that, but the QB opted for comfort over uncertainty.
Those teams’ pursuits make this year’s Stafford reworking a more player-friendly adjustment compared to 2024, when the Rams agreed to move $5MM from future years into his ’24 package. This adjustment also included a $4MM roster bonus. The 2025 redo brings a much bigger commitment, which Stafford has been seeking from the Rams. It would seem likely the sides will be at it again in 2025, though the experienced passer is not assured of playing beyond this season. The updated guarantee numbers would provide a better reason to do so, however.
No strong retirement rumors have emerged just yet, however, and Stafford has bounced back from his injury-plagued 2022 to reestablish his value. The Rams also did not draft a quarterback this year, continuing to delay their search for an heir apparent. That decision and this contract reworking illustrates the team remains a Stafford-centric operation.