After a surprise showing in the regular season resulted in a playoff berth for the Los Angeles Rams, the sentiment of the team’s front office did not coincide with that of the fanbase. After the Rams overcame the preseason odds and laid claim to the NFC West title, the franchise promptly parted ways with its veteran wide receiver, Cooper Kupp. Now, QB Matthew Stafford’s relationship with the Rams is in jeopardy.
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In an attempt to figure out where it all went wrong for Los Angeles, NFL insider, Tom Pelissero, joined Rich Eisen of The Rich Eisen Show to dissect the build-up to today’s predicament.
Citing previous contract negotiations between the two parties, Pelissero believes that Stafford’s frustrations over his paychecks are at the heart of the issue.
“Based on the deal that he’s been on in LA, it’s below the market… He’s Only Due $27 Million in 2025…Last year, he agreed to a new deal that wiped out his 2025 guarantees in exchange for a bump in 2024. The idea was that this is a year-to-year type of situation for Matthew Stafford,” he explained.
Stafford enters the 2025 season with a significant cap hit of approximately $49 million for the Los Angeles Rams. Following last year’s contract adjustments, which resolved a dispute by moving all guaranteed money to 2024, Stafford now lacks substantial guarantees for the final two years of his contract.
This lack of long-term commitment is surely problematic for Stafford, who seeks more financial security from the Rams. However, Los Angeles is hesitant to lock into any long-term agreements with their 37-year-old quarterback. Pelissero affirms that this is a relatively normal situation for veteran quarterbacks such as Stafford.
“Anytime you’re giving up future guarantees… You’re basically saying ‘We’re going to reanalyze this next year. This is something that Tom Brady did in the later stages of his career… There’s other examples of quarterbacks where you’re not going to make a long-term commitment from either perspective, the team or the player. It makes sense from a cap perspective.”
However, unlike Brady, Stafford doesn’t have a no-trade clause. Pelissero noted that “the Rams have been in conversations with his agent and that they’ve given his agent permission to talk to other clubs.”
According to Pelissero though, permission does not mean they want to get rid of him. The Rams are still fully committed to keeping him, the numbers on his deal just need to work for the franchise. So one has to wonder if all the trade talks and tough contract negotiations have soured Stafford’s attitude toward the Rams.
With the history of previous negotiations supporting his claims, Pelissero is likely accurate in his assessment. However, should Stafford and the Rams part ways, there would be no shortage of teams looking to hire the future Hall of Famer.
Potential landing spots for Stafford
In a league where a sure-fire quarterback such as Stafford will always be in demand, the former Detroit Lion could fetch a pretty penny on the open market. While teams such as the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are brought up any time that there is a potential free agent QB being mentioned, there are a few teams who are a bit more likely to sign Stafford than others.
The New York Jets, who just cut ties with another veteran passer in Aaron Rodgers, could make great use of a decorated gun slinger given their arsenal of young weapons on offense. Likewise, the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, could also do well by signing a proven signal caller for Brock Bowers.
Then there’s the Indianapolis Colts. The 14th overall pick is less than ideal in terms of drafting a quarterback, and the team desperately needs to figure out what they want to do with Anthony Richardson.
Whether they decide to move on from Richardson or not, Stafford could serve as either a tutor to their young QB or as a bridge towards the future of the franchise. Stafford has just as many options as any potential free agent in the league right now, suggesting that the pressure to sign a deal rests with the Rams rather than him.
