Dianna Russini of The Athletic has suggested that the Los Angeles Rams‘ decision to restructure Matthew Stafford’s contract for a single additional season may indicate a deeper, underlying motive.
While Stafford’s contract extends for two more years, head coach Sean McVay stated on Monday that the team intends to approach contract negotiations on an annual basis going forward.
NFL Team: What Do The Rams Know That We Don’t About Matthew Stafford
“I had somebody that was poking around on this… they feel like the Rams know something that we don’t know, and I feel like teams feel that way,” Russini told Chase Daniel on Tuesday’s Scoop City podcast.
“Why are you not giving him two years?” Russini continued. “What is it? It has to be an injury thing.”
Russini then said that this could signal Sean McVay’s desire to develop a young quarterback prospect in the near future.
LA will need to determine what the plan is at quarterback, sooner than later. Head coach Sean McVay admitted that the team sees their commitment to Stafford as a year-to-year proposition. With Stafford in place, it seems unlikely that they will be in a position to pick a quarterback at the top of the 2026 draft without a significant dump of resources toward trading up.
Stafford reportedly drew trade interest from both the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders before the Rams successfully renegotiated his contract. This marks the second consecutive offseason in which the team has restructured Stafford’s deal. Last year, the team front-loaded $5 million of his future salary to increase his 2024 compensation.
The specifics of Stafford’s latest contract adjustment have not been disclosed. However, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Stafford received a “very significant raise for 2025.” Breer also noted that this raise was less than the offers presented by the Giants and Raiders, and that Stafford “loves Southern California, and loves playing for McVay.”
On Monday, McVay expressed the Rams’ confidence in having Stafford “as long as he wants to play.