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?

Kelly Stafford rants, but has little good to say about Rams

The LA Rams are not a team to be trifled with. I'm not suggesting that the team always has a defendable position in every contract negotiation. I'm not even suggesting that the team always takes the high road when it comes to parting ways with players. There are differing reactions from the Rams fans over the decision to trade Cooper Kupp.

But there are lines to be drawn here as well. The interests of Matthew and Kelly Stafford do not automatically align with the interests of the LA Rams football team. Right now, the team is working hard to reassemble a team that is capable of winning Super Bowl LX. To do so, the team needs three things that are limited by definition from the NFL rules. They are roster spots, draft picks and salary cap space to spend on signing players to contracts.

Early offseason moves by any NFL team should never be judged prematurely or piecemeal. Of course, that hasn't stopped Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly Stafford, from using her platform to launch into venting about the LA Rams, the Rams latest rumors, and her overall take about her family's future with the football team.

Keep in mind that the Rams and Matthew Stafford have a signed contract right now to obligate Stafford to play through 2026. So when she refers to respect for her husband, she is referring to compensation and guaranteed salary exclusively. Here is one extract from her podcast:

She states that the team's move to trade away Cooper Kupp was confusing. She infers that she and her entire family would 'love an adventure,' of being traded to a new team. That is a rather significant statement to make this early in contract negotiations. But let's push a pin in that for now.

When Kelly Stafford says that she wants 'the respect for him (QB Matthew Stafford) that he deserves,' how did she show any level of respect when she shared their history in college when she once dated the Georgia Bulldogs backup quarterback to make Stafford jealous? If we want to discuss showing Matthew Stafford some respect, let's start there.

But more importantly, the current situation between Stafford and the Rams has opened quite contentiously. The Staffords were able to pry their way out of Detroit, Michigan, and instantly end up hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. But I'm not convinced that another change of address will end up the same way for them.

Venting is one thing. But calling out the Rams organization as negotiations are about to get underway is an amateurish mistake, and here' why:

Why this complicates the Rams contract negotiations

The Los Angeles Rams football organization may be tough negotiators when it comes to the dollars and cents involved in contract negotiations, but I don't know of any NFL team that bends further over backward when it comes to giving players the best landing spot with a new team. We can spend several slides discussing how the team has settled for a paltry return because their first priority has always been trading a player to a team that they want to play for.

One shining example of that was the Rams trading former All-Pro DB Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in his prime for the return of a Round 3 pick and TE Hunter Long. Some speculated that Ramsey would net a Round 1 plus picks. But he wanted the Dolphins, and that was their offer. C'est la vis.

At the moment, the only Rams player not facing an expiring contract who is on the trading block is veteran WR Cooper Kupp. And with those trade negotiations hopefully getting started, you can look for plenty of derisive leaks by unnamed NFL coaches and general managers, with the sole purpose of discouraging competition and driving down Kupp's asking price. Such as this one:

But let's pivot to the upcoming Matthew Stafford contract negotiations.

Why Kelly Stafford's venting is not good for anyone

It's no secret that the LA Rams and veteran QB Matthew Stafford are not close on terms that will compel Stafford to show up at training camp right now. The team and Stafford wrestled for months on resetting contract terms in 2024, eventually agreeing to place all guaranteed dollars in 2024, and hope for better negotiations in 2025.

But the negotiations have already taken a turn for the worse when the team's plans to trade Cooper Kupp, Stafford's close friend, became public. Stafford's initial reaction to NFL rumors of Kupp's imminent trade is entirely predictable. But even before the two sides settle in for tough negotiations, there are many areas that the team must address simultaneously.

The ultimate litmus test for the Rams to undertake that level of effort to rework Stafford's contract comes down to this: Do the Rams believe that Stafford wants to play for the team?

That is an important distinction to make. If this is just about the money, and the guy already has one foot out the door and into retirement, that is not good for anyone. And it's certainly not the type of thought process that will motivate the Rams negotiating team to find common ground for their projected 2025 starting quarterback. Stafford wants financial security for his family, and I get that. But what security do the Rams have if he decides to retire right now?

While the Rams may not be primarily focused on an offensive rebuild right now, they have to be prepared to pull the trigger on one nonetheless. Stafford's biggest weapon in contract negotiations is to lure the team into guaranteed money and then retire. The Rams have to be prepared for that strategy.

Like it or not, Kelly Stafford is exposing her husband's tone and strategy by venting publicly. The team will not hold the Staffords hostage in 2025, compelling Matthew Stafford to play for the team against his will. While a trade scenario was remote before Kelly Stafford vented publicly on her podcast, I suspect that scenario is much more likely now.

The Rams want players on the roster who want to play for this team. If Kelly Stafford loves the thought of an adventure of being traded to a new NFL team, that could very likely be the outcome. Be cafeful what you wish for, you just may get it.

As always, thanks for reading.

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