Rams News: How Adjusted Matthew Stafford Contract Could Actually Help LA

The Pro Bowler is angling for some changes in his current deal.

L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes against the Detroit Lions during the first half of the NFC wild-card game at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan, 14, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hot off making his second-ever Pro Bowl in 2023 (and his first in his new zip code), 36-year-old Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is apparently hoping to renegotiate his current deal with the team. The Georgia product inked a four-season, $160 million contract with the Rams after winning a Super Bowl with the franchise in 2022. He's under contract through his Age-38 season, 2026. Cameron DaSilva of The Rams Wire unpacks how a new deal for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound vet could actually help Los Angeles... in terms of abetting their bottom line.

"As it stands right now, Stafford’s cap hit is set at $49.5 million for the 2024 campaign," DaSilva writes. "The good news for the Rams is that a new deal could help lower his cap hit in 2024 and make it more manageable."

DaSilva goes on to note that Los Angeles renegotiated now-retired Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Donald's deal in 2022 and replaced it with a more backend-loaded contract, which gave the club some helpful salary cap relief. A similar opportunity exists with Stafford's contract this offseason. Money deferred in the present means a costlier salary in the future, yes, but in the short-term, this would help give Los Angeles a bit more operational flexiblity in the short-term, as the team hopes to return to its recent title-winning ways under head coach Sean McVay.

Last year, L.A. posted a 10-7 record and returned to the playoffs, following a disappointing 5-12 finish in 2022.

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