Will Rams show Matthew Stafford the money or is 2024 his last stand with team?
After a one-year hiccup, Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams once again have visions of hoisting another Lombardi Trophy in the near future.
And that belief starts with the team's most important asset: quarterback Matthew Stafford.
"He's been out here leading the way," McVay said during the team's offseason work.
Now entering his 16th NFL season, the 36-year-old Stafford has dealt with injuries recently and hasn't played a full schedule since 2021, when L.A. won the Super Bowl. For the team to experience any measure of success in 2024, the Rams need to keep Stafford upright.
To that end, they signed left guard Jonah Jackson away from the Detroit Lions, giving him a $51 million free-agent deal. Los Angeles also re-signed right guard Kevin Dotson to a $48 million deal and moved 2023 second-round pick Steve Avila from left guard to center, creating a stout interior offensive line to protect Stafford.
McVay understands the importance of keeping his quarterback clean as the Rams try to build off a surprising postseason run last year. Stafford's impressive play during the second half of 2023 was a main reason why Los Angeles finished 7-1 down the stretch. Overall, they went 10-7 and reached the postseason after a nose-pinching 5-12 campaign coming off their Super Bowl season.
According to Next Gen Stats, Stafford was pressured on just 26.8% of his dropbacks from Week 11 to the end of the regular season, third-lowest in the league. For the season, the Rams allowed the sixth-fewest sacks (34) and ranked seventh in pressures allowed (213). Stafford's 5.4% sack rate was his lowest since 2011.
During that stretch from Week 11 until the end of the regular season, Stafford completed 160 of 243 passes (65.8%) for 1,895 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. For the season, Stafford threw for 3,965 yards even though he missed two games with a sprained ligament in his right thumb.
"You see the amount of fun this guy has," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "[It] shows that it is still a child's game, and you just happen to make a lot of money to be able to do something that he's been pretty good at."
Ah, the money. After being named to his second career Pro Bowl, Stafford would like to have a little sugar sprinkled onto his current deal. He has three years remaining on a four-year, $160 million contract but no guaranteed money after this season, per Over the Cap.
Stafford's $40 million average annual salary now ranks No. 13 in the league. Considering that former Rams QB Jared Goff recently received a four-year, $212 million deal that makes him the second-highest paid quarterback in the league at $53 million annually, Stafford has a case for a contract adjustment.
And beyond him, the drop-off is significant at the quarterback position.
L.A. signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, but he lost his starting job with the Raiders last season and must serve a two-game suspension at the start of this year. Stetson Bennett, last year's fourth-round selection, spent his entire rookie season on the non-football illness list working on improving his mental health.
The Rams are banking on improved pass protection and dynamic playmakers to make Stafford's job easier in 2024.
Rookie sensation Puka Nacua is focused on building on his historic debut season. Fellow receiver Cooper Kupp should be healthier, and the Rams added a seam-stretching tight end with free agent Colby Parkinson.
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Kyren Williams returns after rushing for 1,144 yards in 2023, and he's joined in the backfield by rookie Blake Corum, who's fresh off winning the national championship at Michigan.
McVay has chosen not to answer questions about Stafford's contract. But the Rams appear willing to hear his concerns, which is why he has not missed any of the team's voluntary offseason work and will be at L.A.'s mandatory minicamp next week.
"He's here and we appreciate that, and he knows that," McVay said. "I've had good conversations with him about football and anything other than that, really just going to keep it in-house."
If nothing materializes in the next month or so, however, it remains to be seen if Stafford will report to training camp at the end of July.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.