Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Star QB Reportedly Missed out on Nearly $20 Million by Not Going to Raiders

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated May 6, 2025 4:56 PM ET

It seems like a distant memory, but there was a brief moment when it looked like the Las Vegas Raiders would land quarterback Matthew Stafford. There were rumors that the Raiders and Los Angeles Rams agreed on the terms of a trade, but the final decision was up to Stafford.

Tom Brady even reportedly got involved in recruiting the quarterback. However, in the end, Stafford decided to stay put with the Rams.

While it's easy to understand why he'd want to continue competing for Super Bowls in Los Angeles, he left a lot of money on the table, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"O.K., with that established, it’s still significantly less than he could’ve made," Breer wrote. "With the Raiders and Giants willing to exceed $100 million over the next two years, he walked away from around $20 million stay in California. You can say, Well, look how much he’s made already! But $20 million is $20 million. And so that makes this a little like the final deals that Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady signed—where those guys took a little less to stay put."

This isn't even mentioning that Nevada has no state income tax while California has very high income tax, so Stafford is likely losing even more money.

It's clear that his decision to stay with the Rams had very little to do with money. Considering he's likely entering the final years of his career, it will be difficult to make this kind of money again once he retires. Time will tell if he made the right call.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: