NFL Trade Rumors: Rams ‘frustrated’ with Matthew Stafford’s $160,000,000 contract
Matthew Stafford went on a miraculous journey with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 NFL season. He was acquired via trade from the Detroit Lions and immediately won a Super Bowl ring in his first year with the Rams.
His spectacular achievement resulted in the franchise rewarding him with a massive long-term contract extension. Stafford's deal is worth $160 million over the next four years, keeping him under contract in Los Angeles until the conclusion of the 2026 NFL season.
It backfired, as Stafford missed eight games due to injuries and the Rams posted just a 5-12 record.
Apparently, the disastrous 2022 NFL season resulted in the Rams approaching Matthew Stafford and asking him to restructure his contract, according to Colin Cowherd via Pro Football Talk:
“I was told by a source I trust that they wanted to re-do his contract. He wasn’t interested. It limits what they can do and they were frustrated with him.”
OH NO: Quarterback Matthew Stafford declined the #Rams request to re-do his contract, per @ColinCowherd of @FS1.
“I was told by a source I trust that they wanted to re-do his contract,” Cowherd said, via @ProFootballTalk. “He wasn’t interested. It limits what they can do and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/onr3vNPhkL
The Rams asking Matthew Stafford to restructure his contract comes as a result of them entering a bit of a rebuilding phase. They have been attempting to free up salary cap space by letting some of their expensive veterans go.
Among their notable departures are Jalen Ramsey, Allen Robinson II, and Bobby Wagner. They joined other stars like Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller, who left the team last year.
Stafford's refusal to work with the Rams on altering the details of his massive contract could potentially lead to him being the next departure. While his current contract makes it financially difficult to move him, it's not impossible.
Matthew Stafford's contract makes it challenging for the Rams to move him
While the Los Angeles Rams may potentially be exploring the idea of moving on from Matthew Stafford, they will need to suffer significant cap penalties to do so. It also provides minimal financial incentives, even in the best-case scenario this year.
Releasing him during the 2023 NFL offseason makes little-to-no financial sense for them. They would lose $36 million against the cap in 2023, while also carrying $111.5 million in dead cap money across the next two years.
Trading him is also an expensive option, though it makes much more realistic sense than releasing him. A trade would save them $1.5 million in salary cap space this season, while the dead cap money reduces to $74 million across the next two years.