Matthew Stafford already made one big move in his career, going from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams in one of the biggest quarterback trades in league history.
Stafford apparently didn’t want to go through with another one.
SI.com’s Albert Breer reported that a pair of teams were willing to give Stafford a contract that would have paid somewhere in the range of $50 million per season, putting him among the league’s best-paid quarterbacks. But Stafford chose to stay with the Rams, taking an offer that paid significantly less so he wouldn’t have to move his family.
Matthew Stafford Committed to Los Angeles
As Breer reported, Stafford got plenty of interest earlier this year when he requested and got permission from the Rams to seek a trade and a new contract. Breer reported that the Rams were confident that Stafford would not want to uproot his family again after the 2021 trade that shipped him from the Lions to the Rams.
“The Los Angeles Rams’ bet in February and March, when they let Stafford sniff around for a trade and a new deal, was that their quarterback valued the life he’d built for his four kids in the area and the situation he had with Sean McVay. They were correct,” Breer wrote.
Stafford ended up staying with the Rams, signing a new contract that pays him $84 million over the next two seasons. While the outcome worked out well for both sides, Breer added that Stafford had the chance to get a significant pay bump with one of the other suitors.
“That said, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders were willing to go a lot further, into the area where the average on a new contract would start with a five,” Breer wrote.
Rams Go All-In With Matthew Stafford
Prior to Stafford’s contract extension, there had been speculation about whether the Rams would seek a younger quarterback or stick with the veteran Stafford. The team went through a rapid rebuild after their Super Bowl win in the 2021 season, shedding some big contracts and adding young talent to ultimately reach the NFC divisional round last season.
The Rams ultimately stuck with Stafford, who already brought the team one Super Bowl win. Rams head coach Sean McVay said they hope he’s at the helm for at least another couple of seasons.
“We have a chance with him every time he’s at the switch, and 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,” McVay told Adam Schein on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio.
McVay added that talks with Stafford had been constructive, with the team ultimately reaching a deal that worked for both sides.
“When you’re able to have real conversations with people you love and care about, you can go one of two ways. You can either get further apart, or you can get closer,” McVay said. “And there is no question in my mind that he and I are closer than ever. There’s a lot of appreciation, there’s a lot of gratitude that we were able to work through some of those things.
