Two years ago, the Rams replaced the remaining three years of defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s contract with a new deal. Today, the Rams did the same with quarterback Matthew Stafford, resolving a contract drama that had been brewing for months and that, if not for the new deal, could have boiled over.
Although coach Sean McVay didn’t say it outright, it’s clear there was concern that Stafford might not show up for camp if his contract wasn’t adjusted.
“What I’m excited about is that it’s here,” McVay told reporters. “We were able to figure it out. I’m going to focus on the things that we can control and, fortunately, we don’t have to worry about them too much.”
They don’t do it because they already got it. He could have held out. The fact that they worked to get the deal done before Stafford showed up strongly suggests that without a deal, he wasn’t going to show up.
Now he will. And in time we will find out what he received instead of what he owed.
Under the previous deal, Stafford was due a $31 million salary this year, fully guaranteed. In 2025, he was due a $5 million non-guaranteed roster bonus and a $27 million non-guaranteed salary. In 2026, he was due to earn a $5 million non-guaranteed roster bonus and a $26 million non-guaranteed salary.
That’s $31.33 million a year for the next three years, of which only $31 million is guaranteed.
The issue first arose after the Rams did not select a quarterback in the first round. Stafford wanted guarantees beyond this season. Presumably he got them. In the next day or two, we’ll know if he got them and how much of a raise he received.