Stafford's decision places more pressure on Rams organization in 5 key areas

When the LA Rams 2024 NFL season ended with a score of 28-22 on the Lincoln Financial Field scoreboard, the NFL had enjoyed one of the most thrilling and entertaining games in all of the postseason. The Philadelphia Eagles won and would continue to play football. The Los Angeles Rams lost and would return home to unpack their lockers and return home, waiting to play in 2025.

As long as the team remains relatively intact.

Of course, in the modern era of the NFL, even players under contract for multiple years cannot be overlooked in any offseason. The perfect scenario for the Rams roster right now is every player under contract to return, key starters with expired contracts to re-sign to team-friendly deals, and for the team to have enough free salary cap space to enhance the roster in free agency, while securing another top-tier rookie classes.

Of course, step one is to get starters back and happy. The top player to return to the team is veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford needed time after the end of the season to contemplate his future. He has decided that he wants to return to the NFL in 2025. But even with that decision, it's no slam dunk that he will return just yet.

The Rams and Stafford reworked his contract last season to expedite his guaranteed money to fall in 2024. Now he is under a non-guaranteed contract, and he is almost certainly planning to hold out until those terms are changed:

But if you view the Stafford situation merely in terms of dollars and cents, I fear that you may be missing a lot of the story. Satisfying a wiley veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford may start around a conversation about money. But to seal the deal, the team has to look beyond a contract and look into the team, the players, and the future.

So what does Stafford's return compel the team to do now? Let's break it down:

V - The team is unlikely to part ways with Cooper Kupp

The most obvious need for the Rams to do to satisfy veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford is to get their contract terms with veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp hammered out. While Kupp is not playing up to a $30 million/year contract price, he is not simply sitting on the bench and dispassionately cashing paychecks each week either.

Forget the NFL rumors about Kupp's release or imminent trade. It won't happen.

But the Rams are unlikely to overlook the fact that Kupp's contract is extremely overpriced. Of course, Cooper Kupp wants to optimize his compensation. But he is a level-headed player who knows that if overplays his contract, the team will take care of him. Now, it's his turn to give a little.

There is some middle ground, some 'right price,' that will provide for Kupp while not overpaying from the Rams' perspective. As soon as the team gets Stafford satisfied, the team needs to determine what that fair compensation amount is, and put it on paper. While the Rams offense no longer runs exclusively through Stafford to Kupp, their chapter is not over.

The Rams are very close to a Super Bowl caliber team. This offense will need both Kupp and Stafford to win in the playoffs.