The Los Angeles Rams wanted to know soon after being eliminated from the Divisional Round whether or not Matthew Stafford would retire or commit to playing next season. Weeks after Stafford announced his playing career would continue, the Pro Bowl quarterback surfaced in NFL rumors.
Stafford, who turned 37 in early February, is coming off another productive season. As the Rams’ starting quarterback, he won 10 games with a 93.7 QB rating and a 20-8 TD-INT ratio. He also nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback in the playoff loss to the Eagles.
- Matthew Stafford stats (ESPN): 3,762 passing yards, 20-8 TD-INT, 65.8% completion rate, 7.3 ypa, 93.7 QB rating
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However, Stafford and the Rams front office have seemed to be at odds within the last calendar year. A training camp holdout was threatened last summer with the veteran quarterback unhappy with his contract. Los Angeles settled the dispute, moving up guaranteed money in future years to pay him more immediately. One offseason later, there’s another contract dispute.
Stafford is carrying a $50 million cap hit into next season and negotiations between the club and the quarterback’s agent on a new deal have gone nowhere. Recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Rams front office gave the quarterback’s agent permission to speak with other clubs. While the front office is leading the charge, the Rams coaching staff also reportedly has some frustrations.
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Insider Speaks On Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay And Matthew Stafford
Appearing on the Inside Coverage podcast, senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports shared that Rams head coach Sean McVay wants Stafford back in 2025 but he believes McVay also wants clarity on the future. Los Angeles has waited patiently in recent offseasons for Stafford to evaluate his future, now the club wants a long-term commitment.
“I think Sean McVay, at this stage, I think McVay would be happy to have Matt Stafford back. Although, I think finances lay into this, how much money you’re going to pay Matt Stafford moving forward. I think McVay wants to get beyond the sort of, ok are we going to do this every offseason? He wants an answer. I think he wants an answer beyond 2025…I think there’s a little bit of frustration there.”
Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Charles Robinson on if Sean McVay wants Matthew Stafford back as Los Angeles Rams quarterback in 2025
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- Matthew Stafford contract (Spotrac): $49.666 million cap hit in 2025, $53.666 million cap hit in 2026
The situation isn’t all that different from what the Green Bay Packers went through with Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famer went back and forth on his future every offseason, leaving the team in limbo. Eventually, Green Bay used a first-round pick on Jordan Love and traded Rodgers a few years later.
Amid all the NFL rumors about Stafford potentially being traded, recent reports have also tied the team with interest in the 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class along with several veteran signal-callers in free agency. While both the Rams coaching staff and front office would prefer Stafford as the starter in 2025 and beyond, growing frustrations could ultimately lead to a trade this offseason.