The future of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford continues to dominate the news cycle as the new league year approaches. The Super Bowl winner will manage to secure a new pact ahead of the 2025 season, but whether or not it comes from Los Angeles remains to be seen. 
One of the many recent developments in this situation indicated Stafford is seeking a raise from what he is currently set to collect. As a result of last offseason’s stopgap financial compromise between team and player, the two-time Pro Bowler is owed $32MM as things stand (without much of it being guaranteed). With respect to how much of a pay bump Stafford is seeking, further clarity has emerged.
The 37-year-old is looking to join the signal-callers earning $50MM per year or more, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reports (video link). That list currently sits at nine, and each of the players on it are younger than Stafford; only Dak Prescott and Jared Goff are QBs over the age of 30 who find themselves in the upper echelon of compensation. On the other hand, Jalen Hurts is the only $50MM-per-year passer whose resume includes a Super Bowl title.
In the wake of the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI, Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald received new contracts cementing their status as the team’s core moving forward. The latter retired after the 2023 season, while Kupp is known to be on the trade block (and in danger of being released if no suitor is found). Moving on from Stafford would allow for the Rams to reset under center and complete the transition to a much younger – and much less expensive – nucleus.
Stafford and his camp have permission to gauge the trade market, and the upcoming Combine will no doubt result in all parties learning more about how much (in terms of draft capital and finances) teams are willing to pay. Any number of suitors could emerge given Stafford’s potential to serve as a short-term quarterback upgrade, and some teams are known to have made contact so far. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports the Giants, Browns, Steelers and Raiders are among those which have expressed interest.
The Giants are known to be in the market for a veteran passer as well as a long-term solution brought about via the draft. A deal for Stafford would meet the first of those goals, and if healthy he could prove to be a worthwhile addition over a short period. New York owns the No. 3 pick in April’s draft, capital the team will not be willing to part with. Whether or not the Rams can work out a trade built around second- (rather than first-)round compensation will be key in determining if a deal can be finalized.
The Browns are set to be without Deshaun Watson for most or potentially all of 2025, and another restructure to his pact will help create the space needed for an inexpensive veteran addition. Provided he is released by the Falcons, Kirk Cousins will be a name to watch on that front based on his history with Kevin Stefanski and the offset language in his contract. Stafford, by contrast, would be a far more expensive target.
At least one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will likely be retained by Pittsburgh this offseason, and a mutual interest exists for a new deal in both cases. A commitment from the Steelers to operate as the clear-cut starter will be an obvious sticking point whichever way the team goes, though, and adding Stafford via trade would leave Wilson and Fields on the move this spring. Pittsburgh would be better placed financially than New York or Cleveland to absorb a raise, but the same holds true of other teams as well.
One of those is the Raiders. Vegas entered Monday with the second-most spending power in the NFL, and quarterback is a clear area of need. As a result, it came as no surprise when a report from yesterday noted the Raiders could be a Stafford suitor. New general manager John Spytek would no doubt avoid trading away the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, so another package or one centered on a 2026 Day 1 selection (a possibility Breer mentions) would be required for talks to yield progress.
Schrager adds no animosity exists between Stafford and Rams head coach Sean McVay, and the door is open to another Rams restructure ending speculation on this front. Still, given the extent to which a trade is receiving consideration, a reconciliation between the parties would be at least somewhat awkward at this point. Los Angeles will look for a long-term successor under center in the near future regardless, but it remains uncertain if that will be necessary in 2025.