Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that the team is making progress on a contract extension with Matthew Stafford, and he insisted the negotiations should not become a distraction. “Progress has been made. No timeline per se, but don’t expect any drama,” Snead told reporters.
Stafford was at the Rams’ facilities for the start of the offseason program on Tuesday, a sign that the sides are moving through another round of talks without any public fallout. The quarterback, who is 38, is looking to renegotiate his deal heading into the final year of the contract he signed last May.
The timing matters because this has become an annual ritual in Los Angeles. The Rams re-signed Stafford to a two-year, $84 million contract just a year ago, after he had been set to earn $58 million over the two years of his previous deal. Before he agreed to that new contract, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders had shown interest, a reminder of how closely the league watches every twist in his future.
Head coach Sean McVay said in March that the team and Stafford have had “great dialogue” and would work things out. McVay said last offseason that he hoped Stafford would play a few more years, but that the situation would be handled year to year. Stafford gave the Rams every reason to keep talking after last season, when he threw for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions, won his first career MVP award and said he would return after accepting the honor.
There is also a football reason the Rams may want to manage this carefully. The team could decide not to give Stafford all of the reps in training camp or the preseason because of his age and injury history. That leaves Los Angeles with little margin for error at quarterback: Stetson Bennett is the only other passer on the roster, and Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly considering retirement.
Since joining the Rams in 2021, Stafford has won a Super Bowl and made the playoffs in four of his five seasons in Los Angeles. For now, the most important part is that both sides are still talking. The longer question is whether the Rams can settle the quarterback’s future without once again turning it into a summer storyline.