Ringer believes LA Rams / Matthew Stafford are on their honeymoon
By Bret Stuter
How would you describe the LA Rams’ relationship with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford in a few words but in a way that everyone can quickly understand? Now, try to multiply that task by the 32 NFL teams and the more than 32 quarterbacks they have committed to for their future. Suddenly the LA Rams and Matthew Stafford seem like an easy matter, don’t they?
The Ringer publishes an annual commitment index of NFL teams to their starting quarterbacks. This annual tradition is written by Danny Heifetz and is a tongue-in-cheek look at the relationship that NFL teams have with their current starting quarterback. In his latest: The 2022 NFL QB Commitment Index, Post-Draft Edition; Danny Heifetz lets some teams have it with both barrels.
But rather than describe that relationship in football or financial terms, Heifetz uses a language that is universal to all walks of life, to all cultures. He cites the universal language of love. In his opening paragraph, he explains that the relationship between an NFL quarterback and the team he plays for is very similar to the patterns of new relationships.
5th-place: LA Rams and Matthew Stafford – Honeymooning
Sometimes the bond between a quarterback and an NFL team is a solid tangible thing. The LA Rams had concluded that they needed a new quarterback if they were to have any hopes of enjoying sustained post-season success. At the same time, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford had come to his own conclusion that if he were to compete and win, in post-season play, he must find a new NFL team to play for.
Stafford asked to be traded. The LA Rams wanted him on the roster more than any other team. And so, the Rams and Stafford have enjoyed a year of mutual admiration. Heifetz doesn’t even use words to describe the Rams’ relationship with Matthew Stafford. Instead, he simply embeds the video below and cites that Stafford describes the relationship best.
Quite a simple but dramatic description.
Of course, we won’t leave it there. The article covers the entire NFL, and the Rams/Stafford is the fourth-strongest commitment between a team and quarterback. So where do the other NFC West teams fall on this list?
8th Place: Arizona Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray – Getting Their Nails Done Every Weekend
19th Place: San Francisco 49ers and QBs Jimmy Garoppolo/Trey Lance – We Had an Understanding
28th Place: Seattle Seahawks with QB Drew Lock – I Can Change Him
The Rams have a lot more football left with Stafford right now, as the team extended him for four more seasons after just one year. Of course, when that one and only year together results in a Super Bowl victory, there is certainly enough concrete evidence to believe that this pairing will withstand the test of time.
Ironically, the list omitted the Cleveland Browns and newly acquired quarterback DeShaun Watson. Perhaps some relationships are best not described in a romantic context?