Reasons for not offering Matthew Stafford a new contract by the Rams
Does Matthew Stafford have any sway over the Rams to change his contract?
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams might be attempting a similar move, following the recent agreement on a new contract extension between Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. There have been rumors that Stafford would like to change some aspects of his current contract, and that previous summer, LA attempted to rework Stafford’s contract, but he rejected their offer to accept a pay cut.
What specifically is Matthew Stafford seeking in a new contract, and is Stafford in a position to influence a new agreement?
Regarding what Stafford is seeking, it is presumed that he wishes to assure himself a large salary in one of the most significant and lucrative roles in sports. Since Stafford and the Rams have largely kept the talks internal, a lot of this is conjecture, but as they say, there’s generally fire where there’s smoke. As of right now, the only true information available is that Stafford wishes to change his current contract. Is Stafford able to change the terms for the Rams?
The basic response appears to be “No.”
Stafford put his signature on the line. Could he resist? Yes, he could, but doing so might come at a higher financial cost. Should he be seeking further funds, wouldn’t he aim to maximize his profits from the present arrangement, regardless of whether it is modified or not? That is a subject best left to the starting quarterback himself, though he did mention playing for more than simply financial gain when talking about his legacy in the Matthew Stafford: Locked In documentary.
You know what I want? A gold jacket. And I know that winning Super Bowls is what I need to do to get there.
Does Stafford have Hall of Fame status? Arguably, he stated that he would like to win more Super Bowls, but in order to do so, he would have to continue playing.
Big two questions come to mind if LA and Stafford are considering changing their arrangement in any way. How much money does Stafford want to make and how long does he want to stay an NFL player? Stafford also discussed his longevity in the aforementioned documentary, saying as much:
“For what length of time can I play at this level? How much longer can I stay well?”
By all accounts, Stafford appears to want to continue playing, and the Rams have the financial means to do so—they did so after he won the Super Bowl a couple years ago. Has Stafford demonstrated enough that he merits a raise in compensation or a guarantee for the remaining portion of his contract? Does the Rams have to commit in that way?
Les Snead, Sean McVay, Kevin Demoff, and others are pondering those questions. These are the kinds of questions that Stafford’s team and family are attempting to answer. When it comes to rewriting Stafford’s agreement, there is no right or wrong answer. Do such changes to the agreement actually occur? And how does that modification appear?
All of us, even Stafford, appear to be kind of riding along for the ride. And the football world will be closely following this tale with great interest until something changes.
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