Why are the Rams and NFL paying $800 million to St. Louis? Details of settlement
The Los Angeles Rams may have moved half a decade ago, but they still have unsettled business with St. Louis, thanks to the slower-than-life court system in the United States.
What happened between the Rams and St. Louis? Here's a look at why the Rams may owe close to a billion dollars to their former city, according to Audacy.
NFL Rumors: Rams owner Stan Kroenke and NFL agree $800M settlement
Back in 2017, the Rams had reached boiling point with the city. They wanted a new market and felt it was time to move the franchise to Los Angeles, much to the disdain of the St. Louis. According to the lawsuit, the NFL and Stan Kroenke, the Rams owner, improperly removed the Rams from St. Louis while violating the league's relocation guidelines.
Confirming that the Rams relocation litigation has indeed been settled for $790 million. More coming at PFT.
The suit, filed by the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, has been in litigation since 2017. Four years later, the NFL and Stan Kroenke appear to be settling for $800 million. Compared to the $4 billion that were reportedly on the table, Kroenke and the NFL have cut the figure to less than 25 percent of the possible price by settling.
Cooper Kupp ranks 2nd overall in Pro Bowl voting so far. Aaron Donald leads all defensive tackles, and the Rams rank 3rd as a team 🏆 theramswire.usatoday.com/2021/11/24/ram…
If no settlement is reached, the next court date would be January 10th in St. Louis. As for who would ultimately pay the bill, Kroenke is allegedly on the hook for the entirety of the costs of any lawsuits stemming from the move. However, the Rams owner is trying to back-pedal on the agreement, challenging it by forcing each team to pay a chunk of the fees.
The Rams are throwing around money and draft picks like no other team in the NFL. They just signed Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. over the last few weeks, turning over millions and multiple draft picks to do so. That's in addition to trading quarterback Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford earlier this year.
The Rams have made moves like this repeatedly since they rose with Sean McVay, signing the biggest free agent talent available and making big trades to join a few blooming draft picks. Some of the players acquired in the last few years are Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, and Brandin Cooks.
The Rams are 7-3 and in second place in the NFC West, riding a two-game losing streak and chasing the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals.