The Los Angeles Rams are fortunate to have quarterback Matthew Stafford, who won a Super Bowl, leading the team to its first title in more than 20 years in 2021.
But even the greatest players eventually have to deal with aging, and since Stafford turns 36 in February, it’s reasonable to wonder how much longer he has left in the tank. In addition to growing older, Stafford has experienced a number of injuries over the last few seasons.
But Sarah Bishop, an ESPN Rams reporter, claims that there is “no reason” Stafford won’t return to the starting position in 2024.
“McVay and the front office are big fans of Stafford, and logistically, it wouldn’t make sense to move on from him,” Bishop wrote. “Stafford’s 2024 salary is guaranteed, and a trade before June 1 would leave Los Angeles with $55.5 million in dead money. The Rams did a lot of work during the offseason to keep the 2024 cap clean, too. And while the Rams have their 2024 first-round pick — at least for now — they’ve already won six games, which doesn’t put them in position to take one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. Expect Stafford to be back in L.A.”
Although some Rams supporters had wished for the team to start a younger quarterback, Bishop points out that since Los Angeles is outperforming expectations, a significant overhaul doesn’t seem to be as important. The Rams place a high premium on adhering to the salary cap, especially since they recently emerged from a severe cap crunch.
Stafford has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,768 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 games this season. Even though those aren’t the most impressive stats, particularly in light of his earlier career, it’s obvious that his absence has altered the offensive dynamic. The Rams had just 187 total yards in a 20-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers on November 5, putting that on full display.
For the time being, it appears that the Rams’ oldest player will return for a second season in 2019.