Matthew Stafford is a grasp at main comebacks.
And, after a lot offseason uncertainty, the Rams’ star quarterback is staying with the staff he led to a Tremendous Bowl title and three playoff appearances in 4 years.
On Friday, the Rams introduced that Stafford agreed to phrases on a restructured contract. Phrases of his adjusted deal weren’t disclosed.
The deal comes days after the Rams gave Jimmy Sexton, Stafford’s agent, permission to discover contract phrases with different groups if he was traded. The permission was granted to gauge Stafford’s worth on the open market and didn’t rule out a potential cope with the Rams.
The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders reportedly have been among the many groups concerned about pursuing a commerce for Stafford.
As Stafford’s state of affairs performed out, the Rams thought-about different potential eventualities.
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo was the backup final season, so he’s aware of coach Sean McVay’s system. However Garoppolo, 33, was not considered a long-range repair. Stetson Bennett, a fourth-round draft decide in 2023, shouldn’t be thought-about a candidate to start out.
Sam Darnold, the previous USC star who led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs, is among the many pending free-agent quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, a Tremendous Bowl champion and four-time NFL most dear participant, additionally can be out there. However at 41, he additionally would have been a short-term resolution for a staff keen to construct on their success within the draft the final two seasons.
Stafford, 37, had two seasons left on the extension he signed in 2022 after main the Rams to victory in Tremendous Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. The deal reportedly included $120 million in ensures, in response to Overthecap.com.
However this was the second 12 months in a row that the Rams and Stafford’s representatives have been embroiled in negotiations to regulate Stafford’s deal, which was under-market in comparison with quarterback contracts signed up to now two years.
Final 12 months, the deadlock between the Rams and Stafford lasted till the primary day of coaching camp, and ended solely when the Rams agreed to push $5 million ahead from 2025, in response to Overthecap.com.
Stafford this season was initially as a result of earn $23 million in wage — with $4 million assured — on a salary-cap variety of $49.7 million.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford spends time along with his daughters earlier than dealing with the Minnesota Vikings within the playoffs at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., in January.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Occasions)
Stafford ranks within the prime 10 all time in NFL passing yardage, completions and touchdowns. The highest decide within the 2009 draft by the Detroit Lions, he has handed for 59,809 yards and 377 touchdowns, with 188 interceptions. He amassed 14,700 yards and 95 touchdowns, with 44 interceptions, throughout his first 4 seasons with the Rams.
Stafford got here to Los Angeles after 12 seasons in Detroit, the place he established himself as one of many league’s elite — and hardest — passers.
However the Lions made the playoffs solely thrice and by no means gained a postseason sport. After the 2020 season, Stafford requested the Lions to commerce him.
McVay, contemporary off a disappointing NFC divisional-round defeat by the Inexperienced Bay Packers, jumped on the alternative to exchange Jared Goff with Stafford. The Rams despatched Goff, two-first-round draft picks and a third-round decide to the Lions for Stafford.
The deal paid speedy dividends for the Rams.
Stafford handed for 41 touchdowns and led the Rams to a 12-5 report. He engineered playoff victories over the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers earlier than capping the season by passing for 3 touchdowns in a Tremendous Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium.
In 2022, Stafford suffered a concussion after which a spinal bruise that compelled him to overlook the ultimate seven video games of what proved to be the worst Tremendous Bowl hangover in league historical past.
In 2023, Stafford bounced again and handed for twenty-four touchdowns because the Rams rebounded from a 3-6 begin to make the playoffs.
Final season, Stafford handed for 20 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, because the Rams gained the NFC West and gained a wild-card sport earlier than dropping an NFC divisional-round sport to the eventual Tremendous Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
