QB Matthew Stafford gets a restructured contract and agrees to stay with the Los Angeles Rams

QB Matthew Stafford gets a restructured contract and agrees to stay with the Los Angeles Rams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quarterback Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams under a restructured contract, ending weeks of speculation about the Super Bowl winner’s future.

The Rams announced their new agreement with Stafford on Friday without initially revealing any details.

The 37-year-old Stafford had two years left on the four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed in 2022, shortly after leading Los Angeles to a championship in his first season with the team.

But his $27 million salary for the upcoming season was significantly less than the compensation for most quarterbacks of Stafford’s stature, and the deal had only $4 million in guaranteed money remaining in 2025 and none in 2026.

Stafford reached a deal to get more guaranteed money last year on the day before training camp opened, and he engaged the Rams on a second renegotiation in recent weeks. The Rams apparently were reluctant to meet Stafford’s initial demands, even allowing the quarterback to get an assessment of his value to other teams in view of a possible trade.

The Rams were concerned about a financial commitment that would impede their ability to build their depth, but the sides ultimately came to an agreement that will keep Stafford at the controls of coach Sean McVay’s offense in 2025. The Rams’ social media accounts went even farther, saying Stafford “is here to stay.”