The Los Angeles Rams did more than simply pay reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford with his revised contract. Stafford’s contract details reveal the team built in flexibility at every major checkpoint moving forward.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Stafford’s updated deal includes rolling guarantee triggers after both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, allowing the Rams and Stafford to re-evaluate the relationship year by year instead of locking themselves into a fully guaranteed long-term commitment for a quarterback turning 39 in February of 2027.
For now, Stafford remains well compensated. He is due $40 million in 2026 along with a fully guaranteed $5 million roster bonus in March 2027. If he remains on the roster by the third day of the 2027 league year, his $45 million base salary for 2027 and another $5 million roster bonus for 2028 become fully guaranteed.
This structure creates an annual decision point for both sides every March.
The most interesting wrinkle may be a “dummy year” built into 2029. Stafford has a $100 million base salary scheduled for that season, but the number is not designed to actually be paid.
As Pelissero puts it “that creates a deadline for the sides to work out a new deal or move on if Stafford intends to keep playing.”
It is a structure that protects everyone involved.
Of course, this also effects the timeline for first-round rookie quarterback Ty Simpson.
McVay has communicated that this is Stafford’s team for “as long as he wants to play,” a point Simpson seems to understand, but given the investment the team has made the Rams believe Simpson is the future. McVay’s “one year at a time” approach allows them to decide when that future starts.
The incentives also reveal that the Rams priority remains winning and their decisions around future contracts with the quarterback hinge on his ability to keep the team in Super Bowl contention.
Stafford can earn an additional $5 million each season through playoff success, including bonuses tied to winning the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl while playing at least 70 percent of snaps.
In total, Stafford could earn $105 million over the next two seasons.
More importantly, though, the Rams now have something NFL teams rarely get with aging superstar quarterbacks: options.
