The Los Angeles Rams announced that they signed quarterback Matthew Stafford to a four-year contract extension.
This was the expected outcome all along as Stafford first season in the organization went as well as possible for both parties after the blockbuster trade for the Detroit Lions a year ago.
The Rams were hoping that Stafford was the missing piece to a Super Bowl, and he was hoping to go somewhere that would give him an opportunity to accomplish exactly that. In his first season with the team, Stafford had a franchise-record 4,886 passing yards to go along with 41 touchdowns, which ties the franchise record.
He led three straight game-winning drives in the postseason, including in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals to help clinch the title for the Rams.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Stafford’s four-year extension is in the neighborhood of $160 million and is structured to allow the Rams to retain other key free agents for their title defense:
Rams and Matthew Stafford finalized a four-year, $160 million extension that includes $135 million guaranteed that should allow the veteran QB to finish his career in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2022
Matthew Stafford’s new deal is expected to help the Rams to sign other free agents and help keep the Super-Bowl team together.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2022
As mentioned, this new contract ties Stafford to L.A. for the next five seasons when he will be 39, so likely through the end of his career.
Now that Stafford is locked up, the next order of business will be extending Aaron Donald with talks already underway. The Rams will likely look to structure his contract similarly so they can add more pieces in free agency.
So far, the Rams have been focused on the offensive side of the ball, re-signing Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom to ensure Stafford stays protected. They also added a high-end wide receiver in Allen Robinson, giving Stafford yet another weapon at his disposal as the Rams offense should be as high-powered as ever in 2022.
