NFL Rumors: Teams paid $7.5 million each for Stan Kroenke's Rams to move from St Louis to L.A
It has been revealed that NFL teams have paid millions towards the relocation of the Los Angeles Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016. In November 2021, the NFL reached a settlement with the city of St. Louis, ending a four-year lawsuit over the franchise's relocation.
The agreed settlement was $790 million, and Rams owner Stan Kroenke agreed to pay the legal costs involved with the relocation. Since making the comments about the legal fees, Kroenke has now gone back on his word, which has angered other NFL owners.
To help pay for the settlement, the league has taken $7.5 million from each team. According to Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, this amount was deducted from each team’s revenue-sharing payments, a sum that comes to $232.5 million. NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell has faced criticism due to the situation. He was asked what assurances he can give fans in other cities that they’ll hear the straight story from the league and their team about their needs and intentions.
This is what he said:
"Those processes end up being very public. Very transparent. And I think everyone understands exactly what the club needs and what the community wants to do. And they try to work to reach that kind of an agreement."
He went on:
"But none of us want to see relocations. We’ve always said we work hard to avoid those. When they happen, they’re painful for everyone. And we do our best to avoid that."
The Rams relocated to Los Angeles in 2016, where they played at the Los Angeles Coliseum until the SoFi Stadium was built. Their new stadium opened in September 2020, and last season they won Super Bowl LVI at their home stadium, which they share with the Los Angeles Chargers.
How will the Los Angeles Rams fare in the NFL in 2022?
Well, they are the defending Super Bowl champions, so there will be a lot of eyes on their season and high expectations too. They still have one of the best rosters in the entire NFL and should be challenging for the highest honor.
The Rams will host the opening game of the 2022 season on Thursday Night Football on September 8, welcoming Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to Los Angeles in what promises to be a great matchup.
Will Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay cook up some of the magic that saw them win the Super Bowl last season? Its a tough ask but anything is possible in the NFL.