Matthew Stafford is a hot commodity these days. The quarterback is being targeted by the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants, yet the Los Angeles Rams don’t seem to be in a hurry to retain him. In a cautious attempt to retain their star, the team has only just set up a first negotiating meeting to begin deciding his future.
Stafford came to Los Angeles in 2021 from the Detroit Lions and gave the team its first ever Super Bowl that same year. The quarterback signed a four-year, $160 million contract, with an option to opt out in the third year.
After the lackluster season they had last year, the Rams are just now moving to convince Stafford to stay for the year remaining on his deal. According to The Athletic insider Dianna Russini, the team called the quarterback for a meeting on Friday the 28th and “a decision is expected soon.”
Enter Raiders and Giants
Although neither side has made an official announcement, press reports indicate that the Giants and Raiders-spearheaded by minority shareholder Tom Brady-have already approached Stafford, and both are ready to offer him multi-year contracts worth more than $90 million.
The problem is that neither team wants to part with their first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Since Stafford is still under contract and has a high market value, any team that wants to acquire his services will have to offer an attractive compensation package to the Rams.
The Giants are third, and the Raiders are sixth in the draft order. Whichever of the two who wants to land Stafford this offseason will surely have to put their draft pick on the line. The Rams don’t seem that interested in keeping the 16-year veteran, but they’re not going to let him go without a hefty payday either.
Are the Colts in the mix?
Until the Rams or Stafford make a definitive announcement, the theories will continue to pile up. Given license to theorize, former player-turned-analyst Damien Woody speculated that the Indianapolis Colts could enter the bidding for the 37-year-old quarterback.
While this is the first time the Rams and Stafford will sit down to negotiate, Friday’s meeting should begin to clear the picture for all involved. Will we see the veteran move on to greener pastures, or will the Rams give him another chance? We’ll find out this weekend.
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