Matthew Stafford is approaching his 37th birthday and, after leading the Rams into the playoffs this season, he played well enough to secure a wild-card win against the Vikings, throwing for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He then followed up with a 324-yard, two-touchdown performance in snowy Philadelphia against the Eagles, falling just short of an upset, losing 26-22.
While Stafford has considered retirement and faced contract discussions with the team last year, his future remains uncertain. When asked if he still had football left in him, he confidently replied, “Sure feels like it.”
On the season, Stafford threw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The Rams have him under contract for two more years, but with $103 million remaining on that deal, they could opt out of it this offseason.
Stafford is a potential trade candidate, but could also be released, making a trade more complicated. There’s also the possibility he stays on a reduced salary. While it’s rare for team officials to discuss the situation of a veteran QB who led the team to a Super Bowl win, GM Les Snead was upfront about the complexities of Stafford’s future.
“We’re going to get through our rejuvenation period. The neat thing is, Matthew is under contract with us and I know we went through a little bit of that last year with him. He still has years left, so he is still a Ram. I know this, we will sit down with all parties to work through that portion of it, too, when we get to that,” Snead said.
The decision regarding Stafford could be clearer if he retires. If not, it will become the Rams’ top priority. Stafford’s roster bonus kicks in mid-March, so a decision on a potential trade will need to happen quickly. Snead acknowledged the urgency of resolving the matter.
“That’s something that’s going to be a big line-item. You don’t want those issues dragging out throughout the offseason and kind of being a theme going into the season,” Snead stated.
As for trades, Snead noted that it could depend on whether the Rams are contacted or if they reach out themselves, and that the situation will be determined in the near future.
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