Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford spoke with the Los Angeles Times Wednesday, in one of his first interviews since signing his renegotiated contract to stay in LA, the Rams QB sounded ready to go for the upcoming season saying “I’m excited to be back”.
It’s been an interesting offseason for Stafford, who was given permission to speak to other clubs about a potential trade two weeks ago. Still, even at age 37, the veteran quarterback warranted a good amount of interest from other clubs around the league. The positive response to Stafford’s potential services is something he says he does not take for granted.
“I was talking to Kelly the other day just about this process and how it can sometimes feel like such a negative, it’s a tough thing, you know, you’re going through all these things,” Stafford said (around the 20:40 mark). “But at the same time, I was talking to somebody and they kind of gave me the perspective of like, ‘Man, this is such a positive time in your life. You’re 37 years old going into your 17th NFL season and somebody still wants you to be on their team.’ That’s a rare occurrence and something I don’t take for granted, I don’t take lightly.
“It’s still a humbling thing to have teams—and most importantly, the team I’m playing for in the Rams—excited about me being a part of their team and helping them lead the way. It’s a cool thing and hopefully we have a great season and get to figure it out again next year and continue to keep playing, we’ll see.”
General manager Les Snead echoed Stafford’s excitement on Wednesday, saying that the reunion was a “renewal of vows” for the two sides. Stafford chuckled at Snead’s phrasing, adding:
“Les is a man of interesting words. I love Les. Whatever he wants to say, he can say. I just know I’m excited to be back.”
While the details of Stafford’s new contract have not been released yet, we do know a few things. Stafford is due a pay increase from his $27 million dollar pre-negotiation salary. While the quarterback will see a raise, it’s also known that Stafford took far less to stay with the Rams. It’s rumored the Giants and Raiders offered Stafford a deal in the $90-$100mil range. Lastly, head coach Sean McVay confirmed that this deal is only for 2025 and that Stafford and the team would need to sit down next year again if they hope to stay together past this season.
Despite the tough few weeks leading up to his decision to stay in LA for 2025, Stafford sounds confident about suiting up for least one more year with the Rams and happy they were able to work it out. McVay and company will look to add another trophy to the team’s cabinet with their Super Bowl window now firmly open for next year.
