Super Bowl winning quarterback Matthew Stafford is being handsomely rewarded with a new contract extension. The news was announced Saturday afternoon.
Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2026 season. The contract is worth $160 million, which includes $135 million guaranteed. Stafford, who is now 34 years of age, will most likely finish his career with the Rams.
This deal has been on the table for the last several weeks, with the two parties preparing before Super Bowl LVI to hammer out an extension in the offseason. Stafford is taking less money in an effort to build another Super Bowl winning roster. That was the team’s agenda that coach Sean McVay revealed earlier this month, while discussing possible new deals for Stafford and defensive All-Pro lineman Aaron Donald.
“I think the other thing that’s special is that these guys deserve, and will be rewarded accordingly, but I think they also understand, they want to work in coordination to try to help us be as competitive as we can,” McVay said.
Stafford arrived in Los Angeles in 2021, after being acquired from the Detroit Lions in a massive blockbuster trade. The Rams had to give up a lot in the trade. Detroit acquired quarterback Jared Goff, along with a 2021 third-round pick and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 in exchange for Stafford.
His arrival in 2021 has already paid dividends. After being a part of a losing situation with the Lions for over a decade, the former No.1 overall pick, had one of his most productive campaigns with the Rams. He reached sixth in passer rating (102.9), fourth in pass yards per game (287.4) and second in touchdowns (41) during the regular season. His 139.6 passer rating against blitz packages is the highest mark of any signal caller in the past six years. Stafford set a franchise record with 4,886 yards passing in the 17-game regular season and as stated earlier, he had 41 touchdowns passes, tying Kurt Warner’s team mark. In post-season play, Stafford’s production improved, having 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns, while he led the Rams to fourth quarter comebacks in the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers and in the Super Bowl versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Stafford’s contract will free up cap space for the Rams, who have already lost some valuable free agents during this offseason. They have signed veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson this week to a three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. The team is hoping to keep Odell Beckham Jr., who is recovering from an ACL injury, as well.
