Per an NFL Insider, modest money movement settles Stafford for training camp

The LA Rams and veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford avoided an impasse this season. It was inevitably about money, a fact which neither Stafford nor the Rams wish to confirm or discuss right now. What's done is done, and it all gets swept like a river flows under a bridge.

The same is not happening elsewhere in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers, the heated NFC West Division rivals and nemesis of the LA Rams, are dealing with holdouts as their training camp gets underway. They are dealing with two players who want to be paid more money now. And that is on top of their need to find a Brink's truck full of cash to pay QB Brock Purdy when he comes due for an extension:

So the LA Rams have to consider themselves lucky from that aspect. After all, we all know the oft quoted phrase 'money is the root of all evil.' But it is taken out of context. Here is the full quotable statement:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows"

- 1 Timothy 6:10

In the end, the NFL is a business. And business invariably means money matters take center stage. But in all of the posturing and behind the curtain negotiations:

How much money did Matthew Stafford need to join the 2024 Rams Training Camp?

While the team nor the player disclosed what the final cost to ensure QB Matthew Stafford's willing participation in the 2024 Rams Training Camp, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport has managed to uncover the details. What is most surprising to me is how little the eventual negotiated amount turned out to be:

While there is not 'extra cost' to the Rams, the restructured agreement does push more money ($5 million) into the 2024 salary cap and compel the team to pay Stafford $4 million more in the future regardless of what happens.

Were the Rams wise to invest more money into Stafford in 2024? Well, what other option does the team have? And the modest investment seems to be working already, as Stafford is reported already in mid-season form.

I like the fact that the Rams 'took care' of Stafford. It not only ensures a good relationship with him but sets the stage for good negotiations going forward. With the Rams facing so many young stars rising rapidly through the ranks, that is the smartest investment they can make.