What might Matthew Stafford's next contract with the Rams look like?

[theramswire.usatoday.com] What might Matthew Stafford's next contract with the Rams look like?


Cameron DaSilva
March 4, 2022 9:04 am PT
The ultimate goal for the Los Angeles Rams was to win the Super Bowl after acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. They hoped to get that done in Year 1, but that was always going to be a tall task.

Well, Stafford wasted no time delivering a championship to Los Angeles, winning Super Bowl LVI in his first season with the Rams. So long as he didn’t completely flop in 2021, he was always going to be in line for an extension at some point, knowing he was only under contract through 2022.

But after winning a ring and having the magical season that he did, Stafford is bound to receive a major payday this offseason. Sean McVay said extending Stafford is an “incredibly high priority,” something that could get done soon.

So, what might Stafford’s next contract with the Rams look like? It’ll be expensive, but he deserves it. Let’s dive into it.

Current contract
The Rams inherited Stafford’s contract when they acquired him from the Lions. He signed that deal in August of 2017, so it’s been four-plus years since he got a raise.

On his current contract, Stafford has been making $27 million per year, which makes him the 13th-highest paid quarterback in the NFL. The total value of the deal was $135 million for five years, with $92 million guaranteed and $60.5 million fully guaranteed at signing.

He had a cap hit of $20 million in 2021 and that number will increase to $23 million in 2022, 13th among all quarterbacks for next season. That total comes from a $12.5 million base salary, $10 million roster bonus and $500,000 workout bonus, though none of that money is guaranteed, so the Rams can cut him at any time and clear $23 million in cap space – not that there’s any chance they’re going to.