Awkward contract situation resolved, the Rams and Matthew Stafford have found balance again

LOS ANGELES — The contract adjustment was awkward. Maybe a little uncomfortable. There’s really no way to get around that for Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

You could see that much in Stafford’s first remarks about his adjusted contract on Wednesday, which he tried to avoid completely — much like Rams head coach Sean McVay had one day earlier. But a compromise was reached (we’ll get into that in a second) and Stafford was on the field and dealing during the Rams’ first training camp practice at Loyola Marymount University. Which was more than you could say for multiple NFL stars across the league this week, with several key players in other franchises either sitting out practices or not showing up for camp at all. Such is life in the NFL for the next few training camps, as massive deals have skewed the salary scales of multiple positions and put players and teams at a financial crossroads.

None of those is more significant than at the quarterback spot, where deals signed as recently as 2022 have quickly tumbled down the average-per-year pay scale. That’s essentially what happened with Stafford, whose four-year, $160 million extension signed two years ago had him entering camp with the 12th highest per-year average salary at his position. And with extensions for the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love and the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa anticipated — and potentially an extension for the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott — Stafford could have started the season as the 14th or 15th highest quarterback salary in terms of average.

So what exactly transpired between Stafford and the Rams with the contract?

Both sides are declining to comment on the contract adjustment, but a league source familiar with multiple quarterback negotiations this offseason told Yahoo Sports that the Rams and Stafford tweaked his cash flow, increasing the $31 million he was due to earn this season, while also decreasing the $15 million he was guaranteed next season….


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/awkward-contract-situation-resolved-the-rams-and-matthew-stafford-have-found-balance-again-183206034.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-25 18:32:06

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