Sep 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Analyst's Bold Claim Surrounding Rams' Stafford

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated May 7, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams and veteran quarterback and future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford reached an agreement on a deal to keep Stafford in Los Angeles. After some time in the offseason where fans believed Stafford would be taking his talents elsewhere, this finalizes the deal to keep Stafford exactly where his feet stand.

"If Matthew Stafford is on the Rams roster next [year] at the start of FA [Free Agency], he’ll lock in another $40M. Stafford was on the books for $58M over 2 years, now it's $84M over 2 years," Ian Rapoport wrote. "Coach Sean McVay recently told Adam Schein of Mad Dog Unleashed Radio, 'I think he can play as long as he wants, but fortunately, I'm hoping it's a couple more years."

If Mathew Stafford is on the #Rams roster next at the start of FA, he’ll lock in another $40M. Stafford was on the books for $58M over 2 years, now it's $84M over 2 years.

Coach Sean McVay recently told @AdamSchein of @MadDogUnleashed Radio, "I think he can play as long as he… https://t.co/gBeI69D8eQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 5, 2025

Stafford's career in Los Angeles has been a test of the limits of how long elite quarterbacks can play for. While his prime years were spent with the Detroit Lions, ever since Stafford has made his presence known in Los Angeles, the Rams House doesn't want to lose him.

After being a few plays away from eliminating the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams made a smart move to keep Stafford instead of watching him pack up and leave. With age, however, the debate continues about how much longer Stafford has left.

With quarterbacks continuing to improve at younger ages, the Rams believe they still possess one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League. And according to analyst Chris Simms, he also think's that Stafford has a claim to being a Top 10 QB in football going into 2025.

"There's no question that he is a Top 10 quarterback in football," Simms said on Pro Football Talk. "You can't even debate that. It is legit, he is awesome, he is still one of the best throwers in the game, he is one of the most explosive arms in the game still, and even though he's a gunslinger, his few years with McVay he has become better at taking care of the ball, too."

"He's playing high-level, awesome football."

While Simms still believes in Stafford, we need to see if Stafford can still perform for the Rams.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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