"Matthew Stafford is on the downslope of his career" - Rams QB's future in jeopardy as NFL Analyst outlines his replacement timeline

The future of Matthew Stafford remains cloudy. The veteran quarterback adjusted his contract before the season, and his long-term status with the Los Angeles Rams remains a big mystery. Stafford, 37, is not far from retirement.

He has dealt with many injury problems since the Rams' Super Bowl victory in 2021, and recently, he has been absent from practices due to a back injury. His quality is undeniable, but with his health becoming a bigger question every time, the future starts to become a concern for the franchise.

In a recent discussion for Pro Football Talk, Chris Simms and Mike Florio discussed the future of the Rams quarterback. Simms noted that, with his career close to ending, Los Angeles might be loading up for a quarterback move, with the 2025 draft serving as proof:

[7:35] "The thing that just pops into my head, Mike, and I think that we all know this is coming, Matthew Stafford, this is why they traded away their first-round pick in the draft to the Giants for Jaxson Dart. You know, just all signs point towards "Hey, they're going to make a move at quarterback". And I expect that in the next draft, because they know Matthew Stafford is on the down slope of his career. [He's] tough as hell, been beat up, all the things you're talking about. And then, they got to start looking to the future."

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What will Matthew Stafford earn in his 2025 contract with the Rams?

After his contract was adjusted, the Super Bowl LVI champion will receive $44 million for the 2025 season. Before his negotiation, he was set to earn just $58 million for the next two seasons.

There's an interesting point for him. When the next free agency starts, he'll earn another $40 million if he's on the roster for the Rams. $84 million for the next two seasons is a massive upgrade when compared to his previous number.

There's no sure decision if he'll play in 2026 after yet another injury. He was reportedly considering retirement after the 2024 season ended, but decided to stay in the league for longer. He was the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

LA Rams Nation! Check out the latest Rams Schedule and dive into the LA Rams Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Henrique Bulio