Matthew Stafford, the talented quarterback who played a vital role in guiding the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LVI victory, found himself amid swirling rumors about his future with the team. Despite his previous success, his last season was not his best, leading to speculations that the Rams were considering trading him to save approximately $58.5 million.
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Despite the swirling rumors about the Los Angeles Rams possibly looking to save $58.5 million and trade Matthew Stafford, a Rams executive has firmly denied such claims. According to the executive, if the team was truly focused on financial flexibility, they had other options at their disposal and didn’t necessarily need to trade Stafford.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff Debunks Rumors of Trading Matthew Stafford to Save $58.5 Million
During an interview on The Athletic’s “11 Personnel” podcast, Rams COO Kevin Demoff emphatically denied any intention to trade the star quarterback to save $58.5 million. The executive clarified that the team had no need to trade Stafford for financial flexibility, as they had other viable options.
As reported by USA Today, Demoff debunked the rumors, saying, “Those conversations frustrated me because I think it’s trying to inject narratives that aren’t there, I know there are reports that we tried to trade Matthew. We were not actively trying to trade Matthew.” He further added, “We value Matthew highly. Sean made that clear to him in the offseason. Les did. I think everybody did.“
He pointed out, “Matthew’s dollars after 2022 were unguaranteed. We could’ve walked away this year, free and clear, for $0. No future money owed. So there was no need to restructure. If we wanted out of Matthew’s deal, we could’ve walked away. We didn’t have to trade him to relieve the $58.5 million. We could’ve just walked away.”
The Rams are standing firmly behind Stafford, firmly believing in his abilities and leadership on the field. As they look to build upon their success, they see Stafford as a crucial component of their future plans and remain committed to their star quarterback for the long term.
Demoff Acknowledges Stafford’s Contract as Reasonable Amidst Rumors
COO Kevin Demoff further shed light on Matthew Stafford’s contract, refuting claims that the $58.5 million investment was an exorbitant amount for a quarterback of his caliber. “It’s not like this is some outlandish deal,” he explained, comparing Stafford’s contract to those of other quarterbacks who signed for even higher amounts in recent years.
“There were plenty of quarterbacks this year who signed for $80 million-plus in the first couple of years. So $58.5 million when you’re talking the next years is really not top-quarterback money,” Demoff emphasized on the podcast, suggesting that Stafford’s contract was in line with market standards.
By addressing the speculation surrounding Stafford’s contract and firmly standing by their quarterback, the Rams are making it clear that they have full faith in Stafford’s abilities and his value to the team moving forward.
