Stafford agrees to restructured deal with Rams

The Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford have agreed to a restructured contract that keeps the quarterback in Los Angeles, the team announced on Friday.

The adjusted contract came after the Rams gave Stafford's agent, Jimmy Sexton, permission to speak to other teams about his market value. After discussions with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants about contract parameters, Stafford and the Rams were able to come to an agreement on a reworked contract.

Earlier in the week, Rams head coach Sean McVay said on the "Fitz & Whit" podcast that the Rams' "first goal" is to have Stafford remain the team's starting quarterback but that the organization is trying to balance the short-term and long-term roster decisions that come from an adjusted contract.

"There is no dispute -- and let's not get it twisted in regarding to anybody wanting him to be our quarterback," McVay said. "Now, there's layers to it. You have to be able to say, 'Hey, how do we continuously build? How do we support him? How do we make sure that he's getting what is his worth relative to those things?'"

Stafford, who signed a contract extension with the Rams in March 2022, had two seasons left on the extension with $4 million guaranteed in 2025 and none in 2026.

Last offseason, Stafford agreed to a reworked contract, an adjustment that took until the day the Rams reported to training camp. Coach Sean McVay said after the season that he hoped the team and Stafford would have clarity on the situation "sooner than later."

"I'm sure proud of the body of work and really proud of the way that he's played," McVay said during his end of season news conference. "The coolest thing you can say about Matthew is he shines the brightest on the biggest stages. When you look at the seven playoff games that he's played in since he's been a Ram, he certainly gives you a chance every time you step out on the field, and for that I'm sure appreciative."

After spending his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, the Rams traded for Stafford before the 2021 season. In his first season in Los Angeles, Stafford and the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.

In 16 games last season, Stafford completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards, with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Stafford is 191 yards shy of the 60,000 passing yard milestone, something nine other quarterbacks have accomplished.