Early on Friday morning, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was preparing for a meeting with manager Sean McVay, a league source with great interest in QB carousel this offseason, providing predictions and theory about the story that dominated the start of NFL scouting. You can find a middle ground for finance. And while Stafford would never say that publicly, compromises would sometimes show that elite players learn from their peers’ mistakes.
In this case, Stafford never fell into the same trap that engulfed some of the precious final years of Aaron Rodgers’ career.
“They played each other (late of the 2024 season) and I know Matthew has a respect for Aaron,” the source said. “I don’t think he’s lost what happened with Aaron and the Jets. (Heading to the late December game) Matthew has been asked about Aaron, but he especially knows he has a career decision to make this offseason.”
“When there’s (crunch) time, I think Matthew knows his best chance to finish his terms.
In the end, the source correctly guessed. Hours later, the Rams announced they would reach an agreement to keep Stafford up for the 2025 season. And so, other future Hall of Fame quarterbacks of his career winter avoided the legacy capping dice roll, which currently defines Rogers’ offseason reded search.
Stafford was a big domino in the QB market
This was the first key moment of the quarterback shuffle this offseason, sending ripples that affect not only Stafford and the Rams, but also Rogers, the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and perhaps the incoming rookie quarterback class. Consider:
When Stafford sticks to the Rams, Rogers’ potential destination is removed. Rogers said it is being seriously considered as a Stafford alternative in Los Angeles.
Rodgers is now a Giants contender, at this point looking for a veteran who can win the game in the front office in 2025, as well as a coaching staff on the shaky ground.
The Raiders and Steelers were able to change the dynamics, with Stafford as the top veteran target in Las Vegas, achieving Pittsburgh’s long-term goal. Currently, the Raiders and Steelers will consider Rogers in a Pittsburgh situation that could affect Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who are still playing to be the starters of the franchise in 2025.
With Stafford away from the board, the Raiders could still draft a rookie quarterback, perhaps affecting either Camward or Shedure Sanders, owning the No. 1 pick in the draft and entertaining dealing with quarterback-hungered suitors.
It was gravity like Stafford’s decision was made in a backchannel quarterback’s talk at the start of the combine.
Rams, Stafford deals were not money
So why did you come back together in Los Angeles? The best thing I can explain is to point out what happened in the final offseason of Brandon Ayyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. As the 49ers wanted a market-level contract extension, which was initially unmoving, Ayyuk asked for permission to line up their trading partners. The 49ers gave him a green light, but kept the door open for the return trip at all times. This was something that some people within the organization were confident after seeing an organization that Aiyuk was willing to give him the contract he wanted.
By the end of the process, Ayyuk could have stamped a contract with the New England patriots, the Cleveland Browns, or the Steelers. Instead of picking one, he defaulted his preferences at the start of the offseason expansion chase. That was what happened in the end, and traded at least in part at the market level, as the 49ers got an extended look with training camp practices about how the attack looked without the healthy iyuk.
There were similarities in the entire saga between the Rams and Stafford. The Rams knew that he and his family had settled in the lives and communities of Southern California. You can also move to a new city or spend some time apart during the 2025 season or 2026. They also knew that the team willing to give Stafford the salary conflict they wanted could not match the very young and talented roster McVay and general manager Les Snado built in Los Angeles. So, it will ultimately be one override question. If the Rams kick more money, will the financial difference from a one- or two-year deal with the Raiders and Giants be enough to have a one- or two-year deal with the Raiders or Giants, just like career gambling that can end Stafford, who follows Rogers’ footsteps?
The answer was no.
Stafford has looked at the other side of the fence when things are very bad. Part of his Detroit Lions experience taught him that. He wasn’t going to find another McVay anywhere else. Not to mention another Pukanakua and a rally of young defensive players in a position to take a big step for the Rams in 2025.
Conversely, the Rams were also placed in a position where they had to consider their options without Stafford. Can Rogers at Cut Rate give them 90% of what they had at Stafford? Can a cheap Jimmy Garoppolo give them 85% of their performance? And what does it look like? Was it worth jeopardizing the development of NACUA who still had a dirty deal and appears to be ready to occupy his place among the top two or three wideouts of the NFL?
Frankly, these are legacy questions for Stafford and the Rams. In particular, it appears that the franchise is once again approaching the Super Bowl team. Changing it just to save $10 million in 2025 is devastating. And it doesn’t even get into the conversation about appearing to have McVay Part Company, who has yet another quarterback that’s very successful for him.
Now there’s no need to have a conversation, and the Rams and Stafford have a real chance to reflect on what life will be like in 2025 for each other. And the silver lining on every side handles it in a way that is neither messy nor controversial.
So they move forward. Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Stafford doesn’t have to wonder what happened if he finds a way to stick it out for another year. This time, legacy gambling has been shelved, and 2025 will be a study of what it would look like to stay, rather than walking into unknowns that will become far worse than anyone you imagined.
