1 small detail puts Rams - Stafford contract renegotiation into perspective

Nothing can tear apart a fan base as quickly or as thoroughly as a contract dispute between the team and a key contributor. And so it goes for the Los Angeles Rams and veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. But let's be clear. The Rams and Stafford had already hammered out a contractual relationship through 2026. So what's the problem?

The challenge is not in the two sides of this conundrum, but rather in our perspective of the distance between them. It's only human nature to choose sides. We've been doing it for centuries if not millennia. From property disputes with unruly neighbors to loud noises enraging us when we are trying to sleep, the human mind has an uncanny ability to turn self-motivation into right and everything that conflicts with those goals into wrong.

And so it goes.

So it's not simply a matter of right and wrong. Both sides of the Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams want to reach a conclusion that benefits the other side. The thing is finding that narrow common ground. At some point, it may be necessary for both sides to smile, shake hands, and walk away.

In April 1977, performer Dave Mason sang the song We Just Disagree, a slow ballad about two people who were in a relationship but arrived at a point in time when the relationship no longer made sense. The reason I bring it up is the chorus of that song nearly 50 years ago seems so appropriate to the situation facing the Rams and Stafford right now:

"So let's leave it alone, (be)cause we can(no)t see eye to eye
There aint no good guy, there aint no bad guy
There(i)s only you and me and we just disagree
Ooh ooh ooh, oh oh oh"

As performed by Dave Mason, 1977

We live in an imperfect word, living our imperfect lives. Living life is more art form than math or science, insomuch as there are seldom clearly defined exclusively right answers. We have to settle for the closest shade of compromise to yield us our own goals, while allowing enough margin for others to do the same. Laws like driving on the right side of the road and stopping at stop signs are man-made rules that give everyone an understanding of how those shades work to give us all common ground to get where we want to go in a timely and safe manner.

It seems like a walk around the mountain to get to the heart of this article, doesn't it? Well, this is all vital information to have in your pocket before we arrive. The reason? The long journey of setting compromises is a messy business, a series of trial and error exercises that had erred often enough to give some assurance to both sides that when it doesn't fail, it's time to stop there.

Paying for a 37-year old NFL quarterback is simply not a common event in the NFL, even now. You can point to the fact that Tom Brady played until he was well over 40 years old. But he is the exception, rather than the rule. For the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford, they are tasked with (re)crafting contract terms that will not only satisfy their immediate needs, but will serve as a template for future contracts for senior quarterbacks going forward.

Stafford wants rigid guarantees

The revelation that is driving me to craft this article is something that hit me when I was doing background research for an article describing how ESPN NFL Insider Adam Stafford hinted at how the Rams would have the option to sign QB Aaron Rodgers to a team-friendly deal if their negotiations with Matthew Stafford fall through.

At the time, I was a bit perturbed over the concept that the Rams find themselves in. After all, the team crafted a contract to make Matthew Stafford an independently wealthy man and the terms of that deal are still in effect until 2026. So why should the LA Rams, or any team for that matter, willingly walk back to a negotiating table and almost certainly emerge with more money and guaranteed salary ending up in Stafford's hands.

What could drive Stafford to take that position?

After winning Super Bowl LVI with the team, Stafford has run aground of some bad luck recently. Well, recently means that he has been injured for each of the past several years. And that is a strong motivation to want guarantees. Let's revisit Stafford's tenure with the Rams:

• 2021 - 17 games | 404/601 passes | 4,886 Yds | 41 TDs | 17 INTs | No injuries
• 2022 - 9 games | 206/303 passes | 2,087 Yds | 10 TDs | 8 INTs | Bruised spinal cord
• 2023 - 15 games | 326/521 passes | 3,965 Yds | 24 TDs | 11 INTs | Injured thumb
• 2024 - 16 games | 340/517 passes | 3,762 Yds | 20 TDs | 8 INTs | Injured ribs

Is it any wonder that Matthew Stafford had to take a moment, catch his breath, and be sure that he wanted to come back to play NFL football in 2025? Check out his injury history. Even the injured thumb injury to his throwing hand in 2023 could have been far worse if the damage had been more severe.

Matthew Stafford is a starting quarterback for good reason. Even as his body continues to suffer wear and tear, he remains a savvy and seasoned quarterback who is the master at deception, throwing to a spot in the football field flawlessly even as his eyes lead defensive backs in the opposite direction.

And everyone on the team, and even many NFL analysists, acknowledge that fact:

Matthew Stafford wants to play. But imagine the horror that he faces in a future that could find him in a hospital bed trying to heal and learning that he has been released from the team. Worse yet, traded to a non contender. I cannot fathom the stress of suffering physical injuries annually, and then not knowing whether the checks will continue to come if I get injured.

Stafford is simply doing what every bread-winner has done since the age of time, taking a stand to ensure that he and his family are provided for today, and tomorrow. I get that. It certainly hasn't helped that he has faced season-threatening injuries in each of the past three NFL seasons.

Right now, he has no reason to believe that his injury streak will stop in year four. And if I were Stafford, I'd be reluctant to put myself into a situation in which I could find myself injured, and unemployed.

The Rams want flexibility to pivot on a dime

On the flip side of the record, the team is well aware of Matthew Stafford's value, and injury history. While some quarterbacks throw the football away at the first sign of pressure, Stafford's style is to stand tall in the pocket and remain in position to throw a zinger to an open receiver for a long as possible. It's that competitive nature that allows Stafford to rally an offense to fourth-quarter comeback victories like no other.

But the Rams do not dicker. This is not a team to be trifled with. Ultimately, the Rams make their best offer with their first offer. How many times have fans anguished over a key contributor signing elsewhere to a contract that seems to be set at a reasonable price? The team simply deals up front, without a slush fund in the back to tempt players to stick around.

For this team, you either want to stay or you don't. If you do stay, and your performance warrants more compensation, they often agree to better terms for players. But if you don't perform to your contract level, you should have a suitcase packed. If you don't want to stay, or if money is the sole motivation for playing for the team, it's time to call the moving company.

Yes, Matthew Stafford has been injured of late. But for once, can you fault the team? Since 2022, the front office has invested draft picks and salary cap into bolstering the team's offensive line. Stafford was sacked 30 times in 2021, his phenomenal debut season with the Rams. In 2022, he played half the number of games, but was still sacked 30 times. But he was sacked 30 times in 2023, and only 28 times in 2024.

So the offensive line is not the problem, at least not in terms of allowing a swarm of defenders to bring Stafford to the ground.

Fans can't relish in the fact that the team may have been a play or two away from the NFC Championship Game this season, but the timetable was reset as soon as All-Pro Aaron Donald opted to retire. Sure, the team would love to earn another Super Bowl victory. But don't look for this team to sign blank checks to any player who simply demands more money.

This team has learned how committing too earnestly to pay elite players can demolish the future.

With a defense that roared to 16 quarterback sacks in two games in the NFL Playoffs in the year after DT Aaron Donald retired, how can fans fear the future of this team? The Rams front office, emboldened by their recent draft steals, have earned the right to play the draft market once more. As Dave Mason sang in 1977:

So let's leave it alone, (be)cause we can(no)t see eye to eye

There aint no good guy, there aint no bad guy

There(i)s only you and me and we just disagree

In the end, that may be the inevitable fate for the Rams and Matthew Stafford. Perhaps in the end there is no good guy or bad guy. There is only the fact that both sides disagree.

As always, thanks for reading.

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