Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will be back in Detroit on Sunday, September 8, to open the 2024 NFL regular season with his Los Angeles Rams taking on Detroit. The Rams have Stafford under contract through 2026, but one NFL analyst believes Stafford’s time as the Rams’ franchise quarterback may end sooner.
Rams Could Be a ‘Top Landing Spot’ for Dak Prescott
In a September 5 feature on the top 2025 NFL free agency landing spots for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, writer and NFL expert Kristopher Knox makes the case that Prescott could land with the Rams going into the 2025 NFL season.
Knox named the Rams as the No. 2 most likely spot for Prescott to land, only behind the Las Vegas Raiders.
“The Los Angeles Rams wouldn’t be an obvious suitor for Prescott right now because they still have Matthew Stafford under contract through 2026. However, Stafford’s contract situation will get very interesting after this year,” Knox stated. “When Stafford agreed to restructure his deal in July, he essentially surrendered his 2025 guarantees to secure more guaranteed money upfront.”
In July of this year, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on X of Stafford’s deal, “Effectively, it’s a one-year, $40 million deal. He gave up his other 2025 guarantees. Translation: Play this season and then all sides reassess.”
“If the 36-year-old Stafford stays healthy and plays well this season, he and general manager Les Snead may reassess the sensibility of a new long-term contract,” Knox stated. “There’s a slim possibility, though, that Stafford’s assessment leads to a retirement decision.”
If Stafford isn’t back with Los Angeles in 2025, Knox asserted that the Rams “will immediately become a top landing spot for Prescott.”
“The Rams have a playoff-caliber roster, a quarterback-friendly coach in Sean McVay and enough financial flexibility to make a competitive contract offer,” he wrote.
On August 12, Stafford appeared on the “Pardon My Take” podcast and discussed his thoughts on retirement and how long he plans to keep playing. Judging by his answer, he’s not ready to step down after this season.
“I appreciate this game,” Stafford said. “It’s given me a ton. I hope I got three or four [seasons] left in me. We’ll see. Every year’s a new year. But I do feel good.”
Matthew Stafford Ready to ‘Feel the Crowd’ at Ford Field Against the Detroit Lions
Stafford and McVay spoke to reporters before Los Angeles Rams’ practice on Wednesday, September 4. They discussed coming back to Ford Field and the kind of crowd response Stafford is expecting to get from Detroit Lions this time around. Stafford, of course, played at Ford Field on January 14 of this year for a playoff game, which the Lions won.
“I feel the crowd 100 percent,” Stafford said. “Motivating factor. Love it. I want to hear all of it. I want to smell it. I want it to feel like it’s football. That’s part of football, especially going to an away game. That stuff just motivates me.”
He added, “I’m going to obviously be one more game comfortable being an opponent in that field than I was, I guess, last year.”
Anne Erickson Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter covering the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
