Matthew Stafford's salary demands reveals horrific optics to NFL right now

The PR battle between the Los Angeles Rams and veteran QB Matthew Stafford may be a bit tepid, particularly when considering the fact that the Rams, the Rams coaching staff, and the Rams players love Stafford. And Stafford loves playing for the Rams just as much. Nut when it comes to money, you can throw all that you know and think you know right out the window.

Money can have horrendous impacts on people, even if they are normally the kindest and most personable folks that you know. If you doubt that, just watch how long beneficiaries remain civil when trying to divy up an estate without a will. One bad apple among the bunch brings out the fangs and claws among everyone in the group.

The Rams have one eye on the present, and one eye to the future. The team wants to ensure enough financial flexibility to win today and tomorrow. For the 37-year old Matthew Stafford, the time is now. That is despite the fact that he signed a contract that obligated himself through 2026. When Stafford executed the four-year contract in 2022, the contract was worth $160 million, and came with a $60 million signing bonus.

The problem in 2025 is that other quarterbacks are making more money. Stafford wants part of that. Initially, the expectation was that Stafford wanted his $27 million of 2025 fresh money guaranteed. But reports now claim that Stafford's rock-bottom price for 2025 starts at $50+ million. That is a pretty hefty bump for the leader of an offense that has not exactly been setting the NFL on fire.

And yet, Stafford's former teammate suggests anything less than that would be so insulting that he argues that Stafford should retire. And that action would not do anything for Stafford but would be crippling for the Rams football team. Is that where all of this leads to?

I certainly hope not. The Rams were completely self-motivated, but they did offer up a pretty penny for Stafford in the form of starting quarterback Jared Goff, two Round 1 picks, and even a Round 3 pick. At the time, then-Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden initially thought the trade was simply a swap of quarterbacks.

But we cannot deny the fact that Stafford propelled the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory in his first season with the team.