Here is just one example of how the Rams patience was not a virtue

When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams waiting for Matthew Stafford to decide whether or not he will return to play for the team, time is running out. Per some reports, the Rams have had an initial conversation with Matthew Stafford's agent, and the two sides agreed to walk away and reconvene when some of the initial dust has settled. That hints at the two sides not finding enough middle ground to continue conversations at this time.

Setting the fair market value for a 37-year-old quarterback who is still elite but starting to show signs of Father Time and wear-and-tear catching up to him is not a simple matter. Since the heroic performance in 2021, Matthew Stafford has suffered:

• 2022 - Spinal cord contusion: Out 8 games
• 2023 - Throwing hand thumb injury. Missed 1 game (narrowly avoided missing 11 games)
• 2024 - Rib injury. Missed one game. (Avoided missing 4 games)

It's the injury history that has driven a wedge between the two sides. From Stafford's perspective, he is on the football field putting his body through an annual onslaught of pain and punishment. Why should he do so if the contract can be ripped up as null and void at the moment he suffers his next injury?

At the same time, the Rams have emerged from salary cap limbo, and have no interest in returning to that penniless purgatory anytime soon. Putting a sack full of cash in Stafford's lap means that it cannot be used to compensate other players. The team has to pay the full rate for an NFL offensive left tackle, an elite wide receiver, and more. Which of those roles will the team cut corners on to pay Stafford?

And that is all waiting in the queue, behind the Stafford contract (re)negotiation. But this is not a new problem. The two sides faced the same conundrum in 2024 but agreed to kick the can down the road one more year. So, what drives the urgency to get a deal done in 2025? Why do the Rams seem rather impatient to resolve this? Blame former Rams OLB Von Miller.

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When 'Run it back,' never happened

After the Rams won Super Bowl LVI, the celebration and elation over the victory was epic and memorable. Through it all, the mantra that surrounded the team was 'Run it back!' and for the Rams fans, it all seemed very doable. They lynchpin to that lofty strategy centered around re-signing All-Pro veteran outside linebacker Von Miller.

But it was a year of limited edge rushers, and Miller had an opportunity to test his value in the NFL Free Agency market for the first time in his career. The Rams wanted Von Miller back, and pushed their data analytics department to squeeze out the maximum compensation for Miller. But other teams were bidding for his services too. One by one, other teams began to realize that they were no longer in the running, and began to settle for other more affordable edge rushers.

Ultimately, it came down to two teams left: The Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills. But by this time, all notable edge rushers had signed elsewhere. Then the news hit, and stunned the Rams. Von Miller had opted to sign with the Buffalo Bills, citing the presence of more guaranteed money as the tie-breaker. The Rams were not only decimated by Von Miller's decision, but the team's willingness to extend Miller all the time in the world to make his decision left the team scrambling with no solid options.

While a cascade of injuries would decimate the team as it fell to a record of 5-12 that season, the Rams learned a costly lesson. Patience, when it comes to NFL players making a decision whether or not to play for the Rams, is not a virtue. It's a trap.

Don't look for the same generosity from the Rams in 2025 to be extended to Matthew Stafford. The Rams have viable options at quarterback right now if the numbers don't work for Stafford and the Rams. And there is no good guy or bad guy if a new contract fails to materialize.

Colin Cowherd believes that the Rams and Matthew Stafford's contract will face a hard deadline this week, and I tend to agree with that assertion. The more this drags out, the more leverage shifts to Stafford. The Rams won't be fooled twice.

As always, thanks for reading.

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