Matthew Stafford is going to be the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, at least for the 2023 season.
This offseason, there were teams that had a need at the quarterback position. The thing is, the options were scarce. Geno Smith and Daniel Jones re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants, respectively. Derek Carr immediately signed with the New Orleans Saints after his release from the Las Vegas Raiders. Aaron Rodgers expressed his desire to only play for the New York Jets. Lamar Jackson re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a massive contract. So, the options were limited.
One quarterback that did garner attention in trade talks was Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, just after two years with the team and after signing a four-year, $160 million contract.
Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed this past week that while the Rams did receive calls for Stafford, the team decided to keep the quarterback.
"There was a consistent and unanimous dialogue and understanding," McVay said, h/t ESPN. "When that March deadline came in terms of him being due the bonus that he's deserved and that he's earned, we were all in unanimous agreement that we wanted him to be the quarterback…
"I know I can certainly speak for all of us and say we're excited as hell about Matthew Stafford. It's been great to see him feeling good, and I'm certainly really glad he's our quarterback, and that's where we're at."
Sean McVay says Rams opted against trading Matthew Stafford
This comes after recent weeks of rumors that the Rams tried to trade Stafford and to try and restructure his contract.
Stafford was brought into Los Angeles after a monster trade with the Lions that sent Jared Goff to Detroit. The move paid dividends for the Rams, as they were able to win Super Bowl in Stafford's first year with the team. That is when the quarterback was rewarded with a brand new contract.
In 2022, the Rams struggled with injuries, from wide receiver Cooper Kupp to even Stafford, who played in just nine games. He was ruled out for Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals due to being in concussion protocol. After returning in Week 11 for Los Angeles' game against the New Orleans Saints, Stafford was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a spinal cord contusion.
In his limited playing time, Stafford threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.
This year, Stafford is coming back to try and get the Rams back to the playoffs after their 5-12 finish last season. The team did invest in a contingency plan this offseason in case Stafford were to be sidelined, as they drafted former Georgia quarterback and two-time national champion Stetson Bennett in the fourth round.
Stafford will be the Rams' quarterback in 2023. But what about 2024?
