REPORT: Matthew Stafford to Play in 25, Will Need New Deal With Rams

Rams QB Matthew Stafford announced Wednesday night that he would return for the 2025 season as he begins negotiations with team over a new contract
Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks for a receiver against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks for a receiver against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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After taking a brief break from football following the Rams' Divisional Round loss to the Eagles, Rams QB Matthew Stafford officially announced he would be returning to the NFL in the 2025 season but his future with the team remains an unknown.

Stafford just wrapped up his fourth season in Los Angeles, achieving his second NFC West title and third playoff appearance as the Super Bowl champion looked sharp in the Rams' two playoff games this year.

In those two postseason games, Stafford threw for 533 yards and four touchdowns. Stafford's elite play came despite having played with broken ribs since week 15.

However, Stafford's return to Los Angeles has yet to be confirmed as his representatives and the Rams will have to work out a new deal heading into 2025.

Stafford has two years left on a four-year extension he signed right after Super Bowl LVI. Due to restructuring, he currently has a 49.6 million dollar cap hit that the Rams could get out of by releasing him with a post-June 1st designation. That move would save the team 26.9 million dollars on this year's books but would carry a dead cap hit of 22.6 million in 2025 and 2026.

The reason Stafford wants a new deal is that he virtually has no guaranteed money left on his deal outside of a four-million-dollar roster bonus in 2025 and a five-million-dollar bonus in 2026. Those were added during his negotiations with the team last summer.

If Stafford is to remain with the Rams, the team will have to pay him and looking at his current cap hit in consideration with how much time he likely has left in the league, Stafford and the team are likely to work out an extension.

By extending Stafford, the team would be able to give him the guaranteed money he wants while spreading his cap hit over the added years on the deal. Once Stafford retires, the team can then restructure his deal again over the added years, absorbing the hit while they bring in a rookie QB to develop, allowing financial flexibility.

There are ways to get a deal done but a deal must get done and done quickly. Sean McVay expressed he wanted to wrap up Stafford's future sooner rather than later and considering Stafford almost held himself out of training camp last season, expect a deal within the months leading up to the draft.

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Brock Vierra
BROCK VIERRA

Brock Vierra, a UNLV graduate, is the Los Angeles Rams Beat Writer On Sports Illustrated. He also works as a college football reporter for our On Sports Illustrated team.