Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford plans to return in 2025, but could seek a new contract, per report

Matthew Stafford said recently that he would “take some time” to decide on his NFL future, fresh off a 16th season at age 36. Less than two weeks later, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback appears to have made his decision, with NFL Media reporting Wednesday that the former Super Bowl champion plans to return in 2025.

Stafford has essentially communicated as much to the Rams, per Ian Rapoport, believing he’s in good physical condition to suit up for his age-37 campaign. That said, Stafford is unlikely to return to Los Angeles under his current contract, Rapoport speculated, given his last-minute restructure ahead of the 2024 season.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who’s led three playoff appearances in four seasons with the Rams, is technically due close to $50 million in 2025 as part of a four-year extension signed following Los Angeles’ 2021 Super Bowl victory. Yet only $4 million of his 2025 salary cap hit is fully guaranteed, per Over the Cap, and none of the $53.6 million Stafford is owed in 2026 is guaranteed, either.

Provided the Rams come to terms with Stafford on a revised deal, perhaps with more guarantees baked into the current framework, all signs point to L.A. opening 2025 with the veteran under center. Coach Sean McVay recently endorsed Stafford as the quarterback moving forward, even saying he preferred to hear the signal-caller’s plans “sooner than later” to inform the team’s offseason plans.

Should Stafford fail to reach a new deal with the Rams, Los Angeles could also seek to save anywhere from $4 million to $23 million by trading or releasing the quarterback as a post-June 1 cut. He’d likely become the most coveted veteran quarterback of the 2025 offseason if made available.

Stafford indicated prior to 2024, in which he played his most games since the Super Bowl season, that he’d be open to playing for several more seasons, despite battling injuries in 2022 and 2023.

“I appreciate this game,” he told the “Pardon My Take” podcast back in August. “It’s given me a ton. I hope I got three or four [seasons] left in me. We’ll see. Every year’s a new year. But I do feel good.”