- The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a contract extension with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Super Bowl champion was the subject of trade rumors at the NFL scouting combine.
- Stafford is set to play his 17th season in the NFL and is just 191 passing yards shy of 60,000 in his career.
- The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders had discussions with Stafford about leaving Los Angeles.
Full Story
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford is staying in Los Angeles. The 16-year veteran agreed to a contract extension with the Rams Friday, Feb. 28, after trade rumors swirled at the NFL scouting combine.
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Stafford did have discussions with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders––Tom Brady even got involved for the Raiders––but ultimately, he and his agent reached a middle ground to stay in LA.
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Why did the Rams decide to keep Stafford?
During his season-ending press conference, head coach Sean McVay best explained why the Rams wanted to re-sign the 37-year-old quarterback.
“I’m sure proud of the body of work and really proud of the way that he’s played,” McVay said. “The coolest thing you can say about Matthew is he shines the brightest on the biggest stages. When you look at the seven playoff games that he’s played in since he’s been a Ram, he certainly gives you a chance every time you step out on the field, and for that, I’m sure appreciative.”
During the 2024 season, Stafford completed 65.8% of his passes, notching 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Entering his 17th season, he is just 191 yards shy of 60,000 in his career, a milestone only nine other quarterbacks have reached.
What will quarterback-needy teams focus on now?
With Stafford off the market for now, the rest of the league’s quarterback-needy teams can concentrate on other veteran options like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or Sam Darnold. Meanwhile, there’s also first-ballot Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers, who the New York Giants are now said to be focused on as a backup plan.
Then there are the top quarterback prospects in this April’s NFL draft, many of whom are at the combine in Indianapolis during the week of Feb. 24. Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Jaxson Dart of Mississippi and Kyle McCord of Syracuse will be highly coveted by teams looking to lock down the position for years to come.
How important is having a franchise quarterback?
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll discussed what getting the right quarterback means for a team’s success and what it takes to get there.
“The quarterback position is going to be highly contested, and if you look back at when we started at Seattle, and how we built the competition to find the proper guy that would take over in that job, that was a very intricate, elaborate process,” Carroll said of his time with the Seattle Seahawks. “And then you saw [Russell Wilson] won the competition because it was a wide-open competition that was very well designed and organized, and it worked out fine.”
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Following that acquisition, the Seahawks went to two Super Bowls and won it all in January 2015. Carroll also quoted his mentor, former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, saying, “Quarterback is the hardest position in sports to play.”
While the Rams were able to keep their guy on Friday, close to a dozen teams are still searching.
For a minute there everyone at the NFL combine thought Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl winning quarterback Matthew Stafford was going to be traded. Doesn’t look like that will happen after Stafford and the team agreed to a new contract Friday.
Stafford did have discussions with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady even got involved in Vegas but ultimately reached a middle ground to stay in LA. Why re-sign a 37-year-old quarterback? Rams head coach Sean McVay said it best in his season ending press conference, he gives the team its best chance to win now.
“I’m sure proud of the body of work and really proud of the way that he’s played, the coolest thing you can say about Matthew is he shines the brightest on the biggest stages. When you look at the seven playoff games that he’s played in since he’s been a Ram, he certainly gives you a chance every time you step out on the field, and for that I’m sure appreciative.”
Last season, Stafford completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Entering his 17th season, he is just 191 yards from 60,000 in his career only 9 other quarterbacks have reached that milestone.
With Stafford off the market.. for now, the rest of the quarterback needy teams in the league can concentrate on other vets like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or Sam Darnold.
Oh and of course another first ballot Hall of Famer is out there, 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers who the New York Giants are now said to be focused on as a “Plan B”
And then there are the top draft picks, Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Jaxson Dart of Mississippi and Kyle McCord of Syracuse. Just ask Raiders head coach Pete Carroll what getting the right quarterback means for a team’s success and what it takes to get there.
“The quarterback position is going to be highly contested, and if you look back at when we started at Seattle, and how we built the competition to find the proper guy that would take over in that job, that was a very intricate, elaborate process and then you saw won the competition because it was a wide-open competition that was very well designed and organized, and it worked out fine.”
Worked out fine, that’s an understatement! Coach Carroll also quoted his mentor Bill Walsh as he often does, saying “Quarterback is the hardest position in sports to play.” The Rams kept their guy Friday, close to a dozen teams are still searching.
For Straight Arrow News, I’m Chris Francis.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
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Bias Summary
- Matthew Stafford has agreed to a new contract and will remain with the Los Angeles Rams, ending speculation about his future, as reported by ESPN.
- The New York Giants are now shifting their focus to Aaron Rodgers after missing out on Stafford, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
- Giants General Manager Joe Schoen expressed a desire to make a "big swing" at quarterback, indicating urgency for the team's improvement.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
present detailed statistics about Stafford’s past season, emphasizing his contributions and stability with the Rams, portraying a fact-centered tone.
Media outlets in the center
emphasize Stafford’s contract agreement while highlighting the New York Giants’ interest in Aaron Rodgers, indicating urgency in their strategy.
Media outlets on the right
note McVay’s comments about Stafford’s importance, illustrating a balance between team goals and individual retention, enhancing a factual yet supportive tone.
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Bias Distribution
49 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
49
Leaning Left
9
Center
13
Leaning Right
4
Last Updated
4 weeks ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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