Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate
The top guard, Trey Smith, and the top offensive tackle, Alaric Jackson, in the upcoming free agent class are now off the board. Elite offensive linemen, especially young ones, rarely hit free agency.

Free Agency Frosty@FrostyTalksFB
Alaric Jackson back in LA!

Jackson, 26, 6-7, 330lbs was UDFA out of Windsor, Canada 🇨🇦

Starting 35 games at LT, Jackson was one of only 13 OT with a 75+ PFF grade in PB and RB

2024 Stats – 15 GP

78.4 PFF grade (12/33 among OTs)
75.2 Run Block (10/33)
79.2 Pass Block (9/33)

from https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44042667/matthew-stafford-los-angeles-rams-stay-together-2025

McVay said after the season that he hoped the team and Stafford would have clarity on the situation “sooner than later.”

“I’m sure proud of the body of work and really proud of the way that he’s played,” McVay said during his end-of-season news conference. “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.”
…
Stafford is 191 yards shy of 60,000 career passing yards, a milestone nine other quarterbacks have reached.

trey wingo@wingoz
In season 16 Stafford played as well as he ever had. Makes sense for him to stay with the
@RamsNFL

Peter Schrager@PSchrags
Giants did their job in uncovering every stone and being communicative with the Rams. Raiders were in it as well. Jimmy Sexton canvassed the marketplace and knew there was more $$ elsewhere. In end, the Staffords + Rams decided it was in everyone’s best interest to run it back.

Jordan Schultz@Schultz_Report
The #Raiders and #Giants made aggressive financial offers to Matthew Stafford, including multi-year deals with significant guarantees, per sources. While the Rams’ offer will fall short of those figures, Stafford and the team let cooler heads prevail and everyone agreed that staying in LA—without relocating his family—gives him the best chance at another Super Bowl. And now it’s done.

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Whether Matthew Stafford returned to LA or was traded to another team was going to influence potential pending QB decisions with multiple NFL teams. Now that Stafford is slotted to LA, QB-needy teams such as the Raiders, Steelers, Giants and Browns can continue on with their off-season QB plans.

Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
All that fuss for the most likely outcome

@speed_kills@speedk1lls
no more playing around. the Rams gotta get him more speed on the outside … we gotta get one more while he’s here

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
The Rams and Matthew Stafford were one play away from beating the Eagles in snowy Philadelphia and advancing to the NFC Championship Game in their own building. It’s clear the team is closer to a Super Bowl than not, and Stafford gives them the best chance to get there. And both sides made that happen today with a restructured deal.

Rams, Matthew Stafford agree to restructured contract that keeps QB in Los Angeles

Jourdan Rodrigue and Dianna Russini

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6166913/2025/02/28/rams-matthew-stafford-restructured-contract/

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is staying in Los Angeles, the Rams announced Friday. He will have a restructured contract to do so, league sources said.

The move came after almost a year of speculation about Stafford’s future with the team following his dissatisfaction with his contract last offseason. The Rams met with Stafford on Friday morning.

The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants were both in the mix for Stafford, with both teams extending significant contract offers in case the quarterback was available for trade. League sources told The Athletic this week that the two teams discussed two-year deals that included between $90 million and $100 million guaranteed.

Both the Rams and Stafford also remained open to working out a deal, team and league sources said throughout the process. The two sides stayed in close communication about the matter when talks picked back up after the Super Bowl. The Rams also gave Stafford’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, permission to speak with other teams about contract terms, and those conversations unfolded through the week at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Rams were wary about making a long-term financial commitment to a 37-year-old quarterback whose long-term future or durability they can’t be certain about – even though Stafford’s level of play inarguably gives them their best chance to win right now. Their young roster, built through two successful drafts, is now their core identity with several of those players eligible for early contract extensions in the next two seasons and that financial planning to eventually map out.

Although the Rams preferred to stay year to year on any new contract or contract adjustment, according to a league source, it was always clear that Stafford would not play on his contract as it was previously structured.

After his dispute with the team last spring over the remaining money on the four-year extension he signed in 2022, he and the Rams adjusted to effectively make it a one-year deal despite its outlined years running through 2026. Guaranteed money was front-loaded into 2024 (he had $23 million in guarantees this season on a $46.1 million cap number, per Over the Cap), and only $4 million is guaranteed next season, with none in 2026.

While Stafford’s $40-45 million in annual salary average was low relative to his production (about the middle of the NFL while he has largely produced like a top-10 quarterback in L.A.), his cash salary currently ranks No. 7 since signing the extension into 2025 at $152 million as Over the Cap initially noted.

Adjusting the deal that way paved the way for this year’s negotiation, while head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead’s lack of verbal commitment to Stafford in year-end news conferences in January opened the door to a possible trade.

Stafford missed part of the 2022 season with a spinal cord contusion after taking a record number of hits for a quarterback in the McVay era. But between 2023-24, he missed only one game due to an injury (a sprained tendon in his thumb).

Los Angeles traded for Stafford after their divisional-round loss in 2021, a move that marked the beginning of their 2022 Super Bowl run and title. The Rams have made the postseason in three of his four seasons in L.A. (Super Bowl, wild card and divisional round).

In the locker room after January’s divisional-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Stafford was sure he would continue playing football despite ongoing questions about his future.

“It sure feels like it,” he said with a grin when The Athletic asked him whether he felt he had good football left in him.

The Rams had no backup quarterback or long-term future behind Stafford. Former fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett was drafted in 2023 to eventually become the team’s career backup (he was their No. 3 quarterback last season), and 2024 backup Jimmy Garoppolo was signed to a one-year deal. Los Angeles picks No. 26 in the first round of this year’s draft, which isn’t considered very deep at the quarterback position.

Led by McVay, the Rams saw Garoppolo as a possible “bridge” player for the 2025 season if they did move on from Stafford this spring. A pairing with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to be released (though he has permission to speak with other teams), also was possible. The Rams were interested in Rodgers before their trade for Stafford in 2021.

In any possible replacement via free agency, the Rams would have only sought a bridge quarterback on a cheap, shorter-term deal.

Any quarterback they invest significant capital into (whether via trade, free agency or the draft) moving forward will have to be a key element in their long-term plan.

But for now, and perhaps for a run at a championship in 2025, Stafford will still lead the Rams.

Steven Jackson’s final 100+ yard rushing performance as a Ram – 2012 against Arizona. Jack powered his way to 139 rushing yards including a 48 yard scamper @sj39 pic.twitter.com/BvskUYMOiS

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) February 28, 2025

wv wrote:

zn wrote:

Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate
The #Rams have given permission to G Jonah Jackson to seek a trade, per @JFowlerESPN. LA signed the former Lions Pro Bowler to a 3-year, $51M contract last offseason.

WHAT is McSnead up to this year?

w
v

That;s just money. They have Limmer at center so they don’t need Jackson. So as it turns out J.Jackson was an ill-conceived FA signing similar to Allen Robinson in 2022–the receiver they ended up letting go cause he never fit in (after having traded away Woods cause they signed him).

Sometimes these guys improvise and it means they’re open to unexpected possibilities. Like trading for Ramsey during the season…even though they already had Talib and Peters. Sometimes though it leads to ill-advised FA signings like A.Robinson and J.Jackson.

.@RamsNFL @eagles the last time we saw Mathew Stafford play ball; he had every Eagle fan with their hearts in their hands. He is the biggest name in the QB game right now. Is he on the move? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/2QZaHeeYV7

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) February 25, 2025