Extended weeks after he led the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory, Matthew Stafford took a slight discount on his fourth NFL contract. The Rams gave him a four-year, $160MM deal in March 2022. A year later, trade rumors came up after Stafford’s injury-plagued 2022.
Stafford responded with a strong season, drawing his first non-alternate Pro Bowl invite, and led a younger Rams team to a playoff berth. The 16th-year veteran has been connected to wanting guarantees added to his contract, as none are in place beyond 2024. Sean McVay said the Rams have engaged in discussions with their quarterback.
As Stafford angles for more post-2024 security, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes he is not planning to force the issue by missing training camp time. The 36-year-old passer ended last season healthy, after needing to be managed — due to a nagging elbow injury — during the team’s 2022 training camp. Although Stafford certainly has McVay’s offense down by this point, his missing camp time would hinder the development of other players.
In terms of AAV, Stafford’s $40MM has dropped to a tie for 12th in the NFL. Thus far, the $50MM-per-year club — one that now includes Jared Goff — that formed last year does not appear to be an issue for Stafford. Following the Rams’ narrow wild-card loss to the Lions, McVay said Stafford would “100%” be the team’s 2024 starter. But adding some guarantees for 2025 would make it more difficult for the Rams to move on from their signal-caller.
Stafford’s push here also provides a good indication he plans to play a 17th season next year. The topic of retirement has come up at points for the former No. 1 overall pick, though he has brushed off the notion at multiple points. The fourth-year Ram is signed through 2026.
Stafford missing any time in camp would lead to increased reps for Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. The latter has understandably lost momentum after spending his rookie season on the reserve/NFI list. Bennett declined to elaborate why his rookie year featured the September placement on the NFI list, but the two-time national championship-winning passer did confirm he spent last season at home. The Georgia alum did confirm (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop) mental health played a role in his unexpected absence. Bennett, 26, returned for Los Angeles’ offseason program.
Elsewhere on the Rams’ offense, Hunter Long returned to work late in the team’s offseason program, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes. The fourth-year tight end, acquired in the Jalen Ramsey trade, missed the stretch run due to a December MCL tear that required surgery. Long’s health is a bit more important for the team this year, as Tyler Higbee sustained an ACL tear in the playoff game and stands to be a candidate to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. The Rams also added ex-Seahawks contributor Colby Parkinson, giving them some more experience at tight end.
Matty has had a very solid career but the Rams should have followed the Packers strategy and got a guy like Jordan Love in place to be mentored. Stafford is not mobile so any injury at his age could easily be a career ender.
Plus Jimmy G is injury prone as well. And Bennett has his issues. Rams seem thin at QB for sure. Risky plan.