How long will Matthew Stafford contract talks linger into offseason?

Jul 29, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks on as he had the day off from training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It wouldn't be a Los Angeles Rams offseason if there wasn't some drama when it comes to the Matthew Stafford contract. While there may be less drama than last offseason when Stafford's agent explored trade possibilities or the offseason before when the Rams quarterback nearly held out of training camp, there is still some uncertainty.

During Les Snead and Sean McVay's post-Combine press conference, the topic of Stafford's contract was brought up. While nothing is definitive as of yet, McVay did note that the team and Stafford have had good dialogue.

Sean McVay said the Rams and Matthew Stafford have had good dialogue as they work through his contract situation.

Stafford is entering the final year of his deal at age 38, fresh off his first MVP campaign.

- Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) March 3, 2026

Snead elaborated on McVay's comments saying that the team is taking it year-by-year. Wyatt Miller of the Rams website wrote, Snead said that relationship is in a stable" condition and they are taking it year-by-year." He added that an adjustment and an extension are both possibilities, as Stafford's contract expires at the end of the 2026 season."

While it adds uncertainty, Stafford taking his contract year-by-year at this point makes sense if he's comfortable doing so. That may not give him the long-term stability that most athletes appreciate, but if he's confident the Rams will take care of him, it's best for both sides.

This allows Stafford to adjust his contract closer to his value year-to-year while also allowing the Rams to be flexible with the structure. Similar to last season, the Rams signed their free agents and then got Stafford's contract worked out after agreeing on a baseline of what the contract would look like.

Heading into 2026, Stafford has no guaranteed money and has a base salary of just $16 million with an overall cap number of $48.3 million.

Similar to last year, Stafford is going to want more guarantees in 2026, especially coming off of an MVP season. It also wouldn't be surprising to see Stafford get a slight pay raise. Stafford was the second-highest paid quarterback last season behind only Dak Prescott. However, in 2026, Stafford's $48.3 million is seventh and behind players like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa who are expected to get cut. Stafford could ask for a number over $50 million, and it would absolutely be justified.

The real benefit for the Rams in going year-to-year and the timing of getting the contract done is that it allows them to be flexible in free agency and avoids a significant amount of dead money if Stafford were to retire. When Andrew Whitworth retired in 2021, his retirement saved the Rams close to $17 million and left behind minimal dead money due to the structure of his contract. That was not the case with Aaron Donald. When Donald retired, he left the Rams with close to $25 million in dead money in 2024 and $9.7 million last season. Ideally, the Rams would like to avoid that situation when Stafford retires.

Last year, the Rams and Stafford finalized a contract on May 5 after coming to an initial agreement during the NFL Combine. At the end of the day, it wouldn't be surprising to see a new deal for Stafford get officially agreed upon around the same time this year. Either way, we shouldn't expect any lingering drama late into the summer.