The Los Angeles Rams made quite an interesting decision at the 2026 NFL Draft when they selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the first round. The selection came on the heels of 38-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first MVP season of his illustrious career.
Of course, selecting a first-round quarterback when you already have an MVP in the QB room gave rise to speculations about what Stafford’s future would hold. That speculation has been put to rest for the short term by the one-year, $55 million contract extension agreed to by Stafford and the Rams. However, one analyst believes the deal puts Stafford in a trap, one that gives the Rams full control over their MVP-winning quarterback.
Rams Now Have Full Control Over Matthew Stafford’s Future
NFL analyst Mike Florio recently spoke about Stafford’s contract extension with the Rams and had some interesting comments on the true nature of the extension and why, for the time being, it benefits the Rams more than it does Stafford. He discussed it on “Pro Football Talk.”
“The bottom line is Matthew Stafford was due to make $40 million this year,” Florio said. “He’s going to get some sort of a raise this year. My guess is the contract is going to be structured in a way that allows the Rams to tear it up after this year.”
“Everything else is fluff,” he continued. “Everything else is aimed at appearances. And what the Rams have been able to create with Matthew Stafford, Michael, is a situation where they get to decide the relationship year to year. Stafford does not.”
This thought process makes perfect sense with Simpson now waiting in the wings as the assumed successor to the MVP. It is clear that Florio strongly believes this exemption gives the Rams all the power to control their QB situation year after year.
Florio also went on to say that Stafford may have missed an opportunity this offseason to control his own fate and see what kind of value is out there following his award-winning season.
“He [Stafford] had the leverage last February to say, ‘Okay, I want this year to be a contract year. I want to have the ability to become a free agent next year. If it’s going to be year-to-year for you, it damn well better be year-to-year for me,’ And they’ve managed to get him to go along with this idea that they have the ability to make the decision every year, and he doesn’t.” Florio said, explaining the control the Rams have gained over Stafford with this one-year extension.
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“And hey, he’s made a lot of money, but… if Matthew Stafford had waltzed into free agency coming off of the MVP award? How much money could he have made from it in March?” Florio concluded while discussing the missed opportunity by Stafford.
In his MVP-winning season, Stafford threw for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams posted an impact score of 92.3, ranking best in the league.
Not only did Stafford lose the chance at going into free agency off an MVP season, but now, following the extension this offseason, he has lost his control with the Rams, who are now able to play this contract game year by year with him, while a first-round pick in Simpson awaits his moment to shine.
Did the Rams do well by extending Stafford with a pay raise following his MVP season, or did they buy themselves just enough time to move on from the 38-year-old whenever they see fit?
