More Rams-Matthew Stafford Contract Talks On Tap; Raise Likely For MVP
The past two offseasons have brought Matthew Stafford contract talks. The 2023 offseason included the Rams dangling the likely Hall of Famer in trades (after an injury-marred 2022). But the star quarterback has now moved into strong position to score a true raise on a contract he signed back in 2022.
Los Angeles rewarded its longtime starter with a guarantee influx just before the 2025 league year. This ended the strange trade subplot involving the Giants and Raiders. Stafford received a $40MM 2025 guarantee, and the Rams included a $24MM 2026 option bonus (which is split into four $6MM payments, per Spotrac). Stafford’s contract still expires after the 2027 season, but it would appear extension talks are coming.
[RELATED: Stafford Commits To Playing In 2026]
It should not be expected Stafford will play for the $40MM number in 2026, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes, indicating more contract talks will be on tap. A raise will be likely here. The Rams can lower Stafford’s $48.27MM 2026 cap number with an extension, but they will absorb some void years-driven punishment down the road. For now, though, the team will have the 2025 MVP back for a sixth season.
Stafford pushed for 2025 guarantees during renegotiation talks in 2024, but no too much came the QB’s way at that time. The team moved $5MM from future years into 2024 and inserted a $4MM guaranteed roster bonus for 2025. Stafford needed to come back to the table last year to lock in the $40MM 2025 guarantee, which was agreed to after the Rams let him speak with other teams.
The Giants and Raiders had near-$100MM guarantee packages lined up, but such a move would have meant relocating to a rebuilding team. Stafford opted to stay with Sean McVay, and the decision paid off. The Rams gave their QB Davante Adams to target alongside Puka Nacua and watched passer throw a career-high 46 touchdown passes (to go with an NFL-leading 4,707 passing yards at 7.7 per attempt) en route to MVP honors.
Adams is slated to come back, and a Nacua extension is a high priority. Though, the Stafford matter will probably come first. Stafford accepted a team-friendly extension (four years, $160MM) in March 2022 but seemed to regret that, as the 2024 and ’25 negotiations illustrated. The cannon-armed passer roared back after an injury-plagued 2022. The 2024 and ’25 Pro Bowl nods were Stafford’s only original-ballot invites of his career, and the MVP award coming after a Super Bowl title probably pushed his Hall of Fame candidacy past the goal line.
Stafford’s $40MM AAV now ranks 16th among quarterbacks. Considering his importance to the Rams and the team having continued to delay acquiring an heir apparent, Stafford’s camp will bring plenty of leverage into the next round of talks. After Stafford left some money on the table in 2022, will he operate more aggressively ahead of his age-38 season?
The Rams have a few starters now eligible for extensions, with Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Warren McClendon joining Nacua from a talented 2023 draft class. With Rob Havenstein retiring, McClendon is poised to step into the starting right tackle role on a full-time basis.
It will be interesting to see how the Rams proceed here. They were not prepared to meet Stafford’s $50MM-per-year ask during the sides’ 2025 negotiations. It would stand to reason Stafford will come back with an AAV number beyond $50MM, considering his accomplishments compared to some of the players in that salary bracket. Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy and Stafford Rams predecessor Jared Goff secured deals averaging more than $53MM per year. That said, older QBs have settled for non-top-market prices in the not-so-distant past. Drew Brees finished his career on a two-year, $50MM contract, ditto Tom Brady.
While it would be doubtful any more trade talks occur, the arduous nature of the 2024 and ’25 redo discussions do not exactly make it sound like the 2026 negotiations will be a smooth process. The Rams have seen a QB work as their primary starter in seven straight seasons just twice since the merger — Jim Everett (1986-93) and Marc Bulger (2003-09). Will Stafford end up being signed beyond his sixth L.A. season? It will be interesting to see what numbers come up as the Rams negotiate with their QB for a fourth time in five offseasons.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Cross
The 49ers acquired what turned out to be a quality trade chip when they gave Mac Jones a two-year, $7MM contract. That turned out to bring strong value, after the team saw Brock Purdy miss eight games. San Francisco managed a 5-3 record with Jones at the helm, and with Purdy in the $50MM-AAV club, the 49ers are expected to receive trade calls on their backup. While San Francisco wants to retain Jones, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows predicts the team will receive an offer strong enough to move on.
With Jones tied to a $1.4MM base salary and teams undoubtedly interested in turning to him as a starter, the 49ers could certainly ask for a Day 2 pick and a Day 3 choice. A second-round pick may not be out of the question for a player who could be in demand. Jones, 27, completed a career-high 69.6% of his passes in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense last season. He surpassed 2,000 passing yards in limited duty and finished with a 13-6 TD-INT ratio. The 49ers seeing Purdy miss extensive time years after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury-plagued tenure will naturally influence them to stay the course with Jones, but a big offer could certainly change the team’s thinking.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- While Fred Warner was practicing again when the 49ers’ season ended, defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams were out of the picture. Bosa suffered an ACL tear in Week 3, while Williams went down with an ACL tear in Week 9. John Lynch said (via Barrows) training camp returns will be expected for both players. Bosa made it back from his September 2020 ACL tear by Week 1 of the 2021 season. While Williams landing on the reserve/PUP list would not surprise, an early expectation points to the 2025 first-rounder being ready to start the 2026 campaign.
- The Rams are adding a coach to their defensive backs contingent. Michael Hunter will be added to Sean McVay‘s staff, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Hunter is coming over from Tennessee. He did not spend much time with the SEC program, being hired after the 2025 season. Hunter previously coached cornerbacks at Ohio State for two seasons. Hunter, 32, played six NFL games with the Giants from 2016-17. The Rams have seen pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant receive extensive DC interest, but he has not landed a job yet.
- Staying with Rams DB matters, safety Quentin Lake‘s recent extension covers three years and is worth $38.25MM. Of the previously reported $25.7MM guaranteed figure, just $8.5MM of that total will be guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. If on the roster by Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Lake will see an additional $3.25MM guarantee for 2026 and see his full $12.75MM 2027 compensation shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee. If on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2028 league year, Lake will be due a $2.55MM roster bonus.
- Charles Cross‘ four-year, $104.4MM Seahawks extension includes $43.1MM fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Super Bowl champions have structured this deal similarly to Sam Darnold‘s. Cross will see his $13.63MM 2027 salary become fully guaranteed five days after Super Bowl LXI. Cross will carry a $10.88MM cap hit in 2026; the number spikes to $23MM in 2027.
Ravens Promote Anthony Levine To Special Teams Coordinator
Jesse Minter‘s Baltimore arrival will lead to one of his former DB charges being promoted to a coordinator role. Anthony Levine, who played under Minter during the new HC’s first Ravens stint, will take over as Baltimore’s special teams coordinator.
Levine served as Baltimore’s assistant ST coach last season and served in that capacity with the Titans from 2023-24. This will be the former 12-year NFL DB’s first shot to lead a special teams department.
This move comes after the Ravens saw their previous ST coordinator, Chris Horton, follow John Harbaugh to the Giants. The Ravens initially blocked Horton from making that lateral move, but after Minter’s hire, they allowed it. Minter looks to have had Levine in mind when permitting Horton to leave.
Levine, 38, played 10 seasons in Baltimore, arriving after time on Green Bay’s practice squad from 2010-12. He served as a perennial special teams ace for the Ravens, beginning his career on the team’s Super Bowl XLVII-winning team (this came two years after logging practice squad time for the 2010 Super Bowl-winning Packers). Starting only five games over the course of his career, Levine played at least 70% of the Ravens’ ST snaps in seven of his 10 seasons. The former UDFA signed four Baltimore contracts from 2012-20 and finished his career at 34 in 2021.
The Buccaneers interviewed Levine for their STC post last month. Mike Vrabel had hired him in Tennessee in 2023, after Levine had spent his initial post-retirement year as a Ravens staffer. Brian Callahan changed up his ST staff last year, hiring John Fassel as STC and moving on from Levine. The Ravens rehired him soon after his Nashville exit, and that move will lead to a promotion a year later.
Horton had served as Baltimore’s ST coordinator from 2019-25, serving as Levine’s coach from 2019-21. Levine intercepted two career passes and tallied three sacks during the 2017 season, serving as one of the Ravens’ ST cornerstones along with Justin Tucker and Sam Koch during his career. Minter added his OC from outside the organization, hiring Declan Doyle from the Bears, but has turned to familiarity at DC (Anthony Weaver) and STC. Weaver returns to Baltimore after two years as Miami’s defensive play-caller.
Offseason Outlook: New Orleans Saints
Although the Buccaneers and Panthers vied for the NFC South's mandated playoff spot, the Saints finished with more momentum than anyone in the eternally mediocre division. After spinning their wheels for two years post-Drew Brees and then predicably hitting a bloop single with Derek Carr, the Saints saw Tyler Shough show considerable promise after being inserted into the starting lineup around midseason.
New Orleans' midwinter cap situation is also in better shape than it has been in ages. The franchise is, gasp, nearly under the projected 2026 salary ceiling. This is a team that has been more than $100MM over a projected cap this decade, with the team carrying by far the NFL's worst cap situation at this point last year. More medicine is coming via the Carr dead money penalty, but New Orleans may be on the verge of turning a corner after winning four of its final five games.
Another offseason of transition is on tap, with a few Sean Payton-era holdovers either out of contract or representing dead money. But the Saints' finish to the season injects some life into what has been a lower-middle-class NFL staple for most of this decade.
Coaching/front office:
- QBs coach Scott Tolzien withdrew from Steelers' OC race
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/10/26
A pair of AFC East rivals added players on reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday. Here’s the list:
Buffalo Bills
- QB Shane Buechele, WR Jalen Virgil
New England Patriots
- G Mehki Butler, LB Amari Gainer, WR John Jiles, TE Marshall Lang, OT Lorenz Metz, DT Jeremiah Pharms, LB Otis Reese, G Andrew Rupcich, S John Saunders Jr., DL Leonard Taylor, WR Jeremiah Webb
Browns Hire Byron Storer As Special Teams Coordinator
New Browns head coach Todd Monken has found a special teams coordinator for his first staff. The Browns will hire Packers assistant ST coordinator Byron Storer, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team first reported. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com has since confirmed the news.
This will be Storer’s first time in charge of a special teams unit, though he has garnered extensive experience as an assistant. Before arriving in Green Bay in 2022, the former Buccaneers fullback helped coach ST groups with the Bucs (2010-11), Chargers (2012; he was also their assistant linebackers coach in ’13) and Raiders (2018-21).
Storer played for and worked for longtime ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia in Tampa Bay. After spending the past eight seasons assisting Bisaccia with the Raiders and Packers, Storer will take over in Cleveland for Bubba Ventrone. The Browns lost Ventrone to the Rams in late January.
In other staff news, the Browns are retaining running backs coach Duce Staley, per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN. Assistant offensive line coach Sanders Davis will also return (via Cabot).
Staley’s known for his solid career as an Eagles and Steelers running back from 1997-2006, but the three-time 1,000-yard rusher has spent more time as a coach since he started as an assistant in Philadelphia in 2011. Next season will be Staley’s third with the Browns, while Davis will enter his second year with the team. Davis will work for new O-line coach George Warhop in 2026.
Cardinals Will Look To Trade Kyler Murray
The possibility of the Cardinals retaining quarterback Kyler Murray for 2026 came up three weeks ago, but his future in the desert remains iffy at best. The team is “likely to move on” from the 28-year-old, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Arizona is hoping to find a trade partner for Murray, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. He’ll “absolutely” be on the trade market, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom hears.
The Cardinals haven’t changed their stance on Murray despite their recent head coaching change, one general manager told La Canfora.
“He’s still gone,” said the GM, who’s seeking a QB but doesn’t have interest in Murray.
Arizona fired the defensive-minded Jonathan Gannon and replaced him with Mike LaFleur, previously the Rams’ offensive coordinator. The Cardinals seem more likely to keep Jacoby Brissett after he started most of 2025 in place of an injured Murray.
“We hear they are going with (Jacoby) Brissett and want to get Kyler out of there,” a top personnel executive informed La Canfora.
It would behoove the Cardinals to get rid of Murray by March 15, the day $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary becomes guaranteed. He’s already guaranteed $36.8MM for next season. The Cardinals would surely have to pay down some of Murray’s contract in a deal, but finding a taker would benefit their salary cap outlook.
Trading Murray before June 1 would save the team $34.74MM and lead to a $17.92MM dead cap hit in 2026. A post-June 1 swap wouldn’t be as helpful, but the Cardinals would still free up $24.94MM while spreading $34.72MM in dead money over two years ($27.72MM in ’26, $7.2MM in ’27).
Releasing Murray would point to a far worse cap situation for Arizona. If done before March 15, the club would absorb a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. Cutting him between March 15 and June 1 would create an untenable $77.25MM in dead money and take away $24.59MM in cap room. The post-June 1 option wouldn’t be much better. The Cardinals would spread the $77.25MM over two years (including $70.05MM next season) while losing $17.39MM in space in 2026.
Although cutting Murray would be a worst-case scenario for the Cardinals, it would be a positive development for teams in need of a starting signal-caller. On a minimum salary, Murray would be an “incredibly attractive” option around the league, Rapoport says.
Now coming off his seventh NFL campaign, Murray’s stock has sharply declined since he signed a five-year, $230.5MM extension in July 2022. At that point, the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick wasn’t far removed from earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. He went on to pick up Pro Bowl nods in each of the next two seasons.
In 2021, still Murray’s best season, the dual threat helped the Cardinals to 11 wins and a playoff berth. The Cardinals, who took a brutal 34-11 loss to the Rams in the wild-card round, haven’t returned to the playoffs or even finished above .500 in any season since. They’ve axed two head coaches (Gannon and Kliff Kingsbury, who had some success with Murray) during their four-year postseason drought.
Murray’s career began trending downward in 2022, the first season after he landed his mega-deal. He struggled over the first two-plus months before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 14. Murray’s recovery kept him out until the following November, limiting him to eight games.
To his credit, Murray rebounded to a noticeable degree in 2024. During his lone 17-game season to date, he completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a personal-high 63.4 QBR. As a runner, he scampered for 572 yards on a robust 7.3 per carry and found the end zone five more times.
In the wake of Murray’s bounce-back season, the arrow was finally pointing up for him and the Cardinals 12 months ago. With improved play from a healthy Murray, the Cardinals went 8-9 and recorded a plus-21 point differential. It was an encouraging step forward for a club that combined for a grisly 8-26 mark and a minus-234 point differential from 2022-23.
Neither Murray nor the Cardinals were able to build on last year’s progress in 2025. They finished an awful 3-14, and Murray missed 12 games with a foot injury. Murray’s time in Arizona may now be on the verge of ending, but even he’s unsure how things will play out, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports.
In the seemingly improbable event Murray stays put (which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler contends is still on the table), Brissett would emerge as a trade candidate, Fowler relays.
On a manageable $4.88 base salary in 2o26, Brissett could be of interest to several teams looking for either a stopgap starter or a capable backup. The Falcons and Jets are among the clubs that could pursue Brissett, per Fowler.
As Fowler points out, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich are familiar with Brissett. He played for Stefanski in Cleveland in 2022 and under Reich (then the Colts’ HC) from 2018-20.
Commanders Extend P Tress Way
Commanders punter Tress Way entered Tuesday a month away from reaching free agency, but he’ll instead return to Washington for a 13th season. The Commanders announced an extension agreement with Way. It’s a one-year deal, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.
Way, a former Oklahoma Sooner, started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Bears in 2013. His only regular-season experience has come with the Commanders, who plucked him off waivers from the Bears in August 2014. Twelve years later, Way is the Commanders’ longest-tenured player.
Way was an immediate success in Washington, where he led the league in average yards per punt in 2014 (47.5). He repeated that feat with an average of 49.6 in 2019, his first Pro Bowl campaign. Way has since earned two more Pro Bowl invitations, including in 2025.
At 47.3, the 35-year-old finished just 18th in gross average last season. However, Way led the league in percentage of punts inside the 20 (52.8%) and finished in a fourth-place tie in net average (43.9).
Over his 12-year run in Washington, Way has played in 196 games and recorded a 46.9 gross average and a 41.7 net on 832 punts. Way ranks fifth on Washington’s all-time games played list, and climbing all the way to second is a realistic possibility. Dave Butz (203), Art Monk (205) and Monte Coleman (215) are all within striking distance, though all-time leader Darrell Green (295) is out of reach.
Rams RT Rob Havenstein To Retire
After 11 years as a starting right tackle with the Rams, Rob Havenstein is calling it a career. Havenstein announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN).
“Thank you to all my teammates, coaches, and fans who have supported me and helped me over these past 11 years,” Havenstein wrote. “I have had the time of my life with the Los Angeles Rams (formerly known as the St. Louis Rams) and can’t thank the whole organization enough for giving me a shot back in 2015. Although some in the organization weren’t totally convinced.”
Now 33 years old, Havenstein was the last St. Louis Ram remaining on his team’s roster. As a second-round selection in 2015, Havenstein spent his rookie year in St. Louis. The Rams relocated to Los Angeles the next season.
As Havenstein noted, “some” weren’t convinced the Rams were wise in using a high pick on him. He proved his doubters wrong, though, as the Rams nabbed a Day 1 starter and someone who topped the depth chart for his entire career.
The former Wisconsin Badger started in all 148 of his appearances with the Rams, though injuries were a consistent issue. He missed at least one game in 10 of his seasons and sat out three or more on five occasions.
A stalwart when healthy, Havenstein earned two extensions during his career. He inked a four-year, $32.5MM contract in 2018 and then landed a three-year, $34.5MM pact in 2022. His second deal came together several months after he won the lone Super Bowl title of his career.
Had Havenstein continued in 2026, he’d have been on track to reach free agency for the first time in March. The 6-foot-8, 322-pounder would have had to seek a new contract on the heels of an injury-ruined 2025.
In his final season, Havenstein played in just seven games – none past Week 11 – as a result of ankle and knee issues. He went on injured reserve in mid-November, and though the Rams opened his practice window ahead of the NFC title game, he wasn’t healthy enough to play in their season-ending loss to the Seahawks.
Havenstein will walk away tied for eighth on the Rams’ all-time games played list for offensive linemen. He’s third among their tackles in starts, trailing Pro Football Hall of Famers Jackie Slater and Orlando Pace.
With Havenstein moving on, the Rams are expected to hand the keys at right tackle to Warren McClendon. After McClendon impressed filling in for Havenstein in 2025, the Rams could pursue an extension with the three-year veteran this offseason.
Wes Welker To Remain On Commanders’ Staff In 2026
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media on Tuesday. During the press conference, he made a number of announcements regarding the team’s coaching staff for next year.
Among those was the confirmation that Wes Welker will remain with the Commanders for 2026. Welker joined Washington’s staff last April, holding the title of personnel analyst.
While Welker’s exact role for next season has not yet been clarified, he will work on the Commanders’ offensive staff (h/t JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington). Quinn said Welker helped out on special teams last season while Commanders assistant ST coordinator Brian Schneider battled cancer (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic).
As an NFL wide receiver from 2004-15, Welker’s expertise is on the offensive side of the ball. With 903 catches, 50 receiving touchdowns and five Pro Bowl nods, Welker enjoyed an especially impressive playing career. He began as a coach in 2017 with the Texans as an offensive/special teams assistant, a position he held for two seasons.
After his Houston tenure concluded, Welker went on to coach receivers for the next six seasons. He divided his time between San Francisco (2019-21) and Miami (2022-24), working alongside Mike McDaniel in both stops. Welker’s partnership with McDaniel ended when Quinn hired him.
Elsewhere on Washington’s staff, Quinn announced new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will have the authority to implement his own system (via Finlay). Jones, a first-time NFL DC, spent the past four years coaching the Vikings’ defensive backs. He’s replacing the fired Joe Whitt, who lost his job after a season in which Quinn stripped him of play-calling duties. Jones will take over for Quinn as the play-caller in 2026.
Washington’s Jones-led defensive staff will include William Gay as the cornerbacks coach and Darryl Tapp as an assistant D-line coach, per John Keim of ESPN. Gay, a longtime NFL corner, was the Commanders’ assistant DBs coach from 2024-25. Tapp was the Commanders’ line coach for the past two years, but the former defensive end will take a step back next season. He’ll work under new DL coach Eric Henderson.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.