Los Angeles Rams superstar quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to enter the final year of his contract.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to enter the final year of his contract.
While the expectation is that the Rams and Stafford will close a deal in the near future, that has yet to be the case. A new development by The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue said that the two sides have yet to strike a deal.
"The two sides have not yet fully agreed on Stafford's adjusted contract, although a league source said progress has been made."
This news comes after the Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many were shocked by the pick considering the Rams' needs elsewhere in the offense, like the wide receiver and offensive line; nevertheless, they addressed the most important position in the sport without needing to do so at the moment.
When and if a new contract gets done for Stafford, that now begs the question of when Simpson will take the field under center for the Rams.
He is the clear heir apparent when Stafford decides to call his career quits. When that will be is unclear, but we will receive more clarity once the details of the new contract are released.
Although Stafford will enter his age-38 season, he's shown that he has plenty left in the tank.
Rams head coach Sean McVay made it abundantly clear that this is Stafford's team for as long as he wants it. As things stand, that timeline remains unclear. The MVP quarterback is coming off the best season of his career thus far.
In his MVP season, the Texas native led the league with 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, completed 388 passes with a completion percentage of 65 percent, and averaged 276.9 yards per game.
Stafford is likely to enter his sixth season in Los Angeles and will look to help the Rams hoist another Lombardi Trophy. They were able to get the job done in 2021, his first season in Los Angeles, and now the hope is that he guides them to the promised land again, potentially in the final year of his career.
Whenever Stafford decides to hang up his cleats, Simpson will presumably be there and ready to take the keys to the franchise. How that all plays out, only time will tell.
The Rams selected Simpson with the belief that he can eventually lead the franchise into its next chapter and provide a smooth transition at the position.