The Los Angeles Rams have no obvious successor to Matthew Stafford on their roster, and their latest commitment to the veteran quarterback is an emphatic illustration of their belief in his ability to help them contend for a Super Bowl in this season and beyond.
According to multiple reports, the Rams have finalized a reworked contract with Stafford, giving him a significant increase in salary before his deal with Los Angeles comes to an end at the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
Stafford had been due to earn $58 million over two years. With the reworked contract, that has ballooned to $84 million. He will receive $44 million in 2025, with $4 million of that already paid and the other $40 million fully guaranteed.
The pay rise for Stafford comes after he helped lead the Rams on a surprising return to prominence in 2024, Los Angeles recovering from a 1-5 start to win the NFC West with a 10-7 record.
They subsequently reached the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, but only after a hugely admirable performance from Stafford in the snow at Lincoln Financial Field.
Stafford threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions, though he did lose a fumble, in the 28-22 loss, that display indicative of why the Rams are happy to maintain faith in the 38-year-old.
The #Rams and QB Matthew Stafford have finally finalized the terms on his new contract, sources say, as the deal negotiated during the NFL Combine is now official.
Stafford will earn $44M this year, with $4M already paid and the other $40M fully guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/L9Udyo46Al— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 5, 2025
“We have a chance with him every time he’s at the switch,” Sean McVay recently told SiriusXM.
“Love working with him. And I think he can play as long as he wants, but fortunately, I’m hoping it’s a couple more years.
The Rams have the capital to find an heir apparent for Stafford next offseason, having acquired an additional 2026 first-round pick in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons that saw them drop out of the first round of this year’s draft.
With two first-round selections, they theoretically will have the opportunity to draft their quarterback of the future.
However, the present for the Rams is firmly tied to Stafford after a season in which he produced five game-winning drives, led three fourth-quarter comebacks and finished with his highest passer rating (93.7) since the 2021 season in which Los Angeles won the Super Bowl.
Betting on a 38-year-old to maintain his status as one of the game’s top quarterbacks is not without its risks, however, Stafford still has the arm, the playmaking ability and the toughness to continue to thrive and lead a Rams team reinvigorated by a speedy rebuild of what was until recently an overly top-heavy roster.
The Rams know their very successful marriage with Stafford won’t last too much longer, but they’re paying because there is a lot of supporting evidence to suggest it could yet yield more title-winning dividends over the next two years.
