Kelly Stafford vents about lack of respect as NFL Rumors heat up over Rams QB

When it comes to the LA Rams and veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, there is no denying that the two sides have mutual respect and admiration for one another. But when it comes to money matters, the two sides could not be further apart. We all know that Matthew Stafford needed time to decide his future. We also know that he decided to return to the NFL for the 2025 NFL season. We even know that it's not that simple, as the Rams are now pressured to resolve five matters with Stafford's return.

And with the decision to trade his teammate and friend, WR Cooper Kupp, immediately, the Rams have one strike against them.

But let's not lose sight of the brass ring here. This is about money, plain and simple. The LA Rams have veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford under contract through 2026. So, what's the problem?

The problem is still compensation. In 2024, Stafford wanted guaranteed compensation. So the team kicked the can down the road and agreed to expedite Stafford's guaranteed salary in 2024. That fixed 2024, but complicated 2025 even more. You see, Matthew Stafford has only his roster bonus guaranteed in both 2025 and 2026 respectively.

If cut or traded as it stands now, the Rams could save nearly $50 million against their 2025 NFL salary cap. That is the baseline of why contract (re)negotiations begin so contentiously. Matthew Stafford will not participate in training camp until his contract reflects what he believes is his true fair market value.

Matthew Stafford is a 37-year-old quarterback who has begun the show the slow deterioration that Fathew Time causes to all NFL players as they cross that 30-year-old timeline, which in NFL circles is as much of a landmark as the Continental Divide. Stafford may still view his performance as NFL Playoff caliber, and when he gets there, it is. But the truth of the matter is that the same factors that seem to have precipitated the team's decision to trade Cooper Kupp immediately will also play huge factors in right-sizing Stafford's contract for the 2025 season.

All the while, the team has always preferred to keep contract negotiations, progress, trade talks, and even communication with players about the likelihood of their future with the team in-house. It's that closed-door policy that compelled the Rams front office to trade away projected starting ILB Ernest Jones IV at point-blank range before the 2024 NFL season started.

And yet, it's how the Rams roll. Or at least, how the team prefers to roll.

But the silence has already been broken by WR Cooper Kupp, who shared the team's communication with him about trading him 'immediately' on social media. That was not something the team preferred, as the very release of the intention to trade Kupp deteriorated the team's position. After all, why trade for Kupp when he is just as likely to be outright released by the team before his roster bonus comes due?