Quarterback Matthew Stafford has signed a contract extension with the Rams, the team announced on Thursday.
The deal, which adds one year and $55 million to his current contract, will keep Stafford with the Rams for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Stafford, 38, was acquired in a 2021 trade with the Detroit Lions and immediately led the franchise to a Super Bowl title at SoFi Stadium in his first season with the team. In five seasons with the Rams, he has risen to fourth all-time among the franchise’s passing yards leaders, third in passing touchdowns and second in game-winning drives.
But in 2025, Stafford reached a new level, winning the first NFL MVP award of his career after throwing for a league-leading 4,707 passing yards and a career-high 46 touchdowns while completing 65% of his passes. He led one game-winning drive during the regular season, then led two in the playoffs to push the Rams to the NFC championship game.
In recent years, Stafford and Rams general manager Les Snead have had an understanding that the quarterback would go year-to-year, with the possibility of retirement on the horizon. But Stafford announced during his MVP acceptance speech in February that he would return to the Rams for a sixth season in 2026, the final year on his contract.
Throughout the offseason, the Rams expressed confidence they would reach terms on a new contract with Stafford, even after the franchise drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of last month’s NFL draft. And now the two sides have reached an agreement that, with an extra year attached, will give Stafford some security when it comes to deciding his future following the 2026 season.
After the Rams’ selection of Simpson, head coach Sean McVay emphasized that the Rams were still Stafford’s team, and that they would operate on Stafford’s timeline in regards to when they would initiate a succession plan at quarterback.
“It is Matthew’s football team,” McVay said. “I’m excited to be able to add Ty. What a blessing it is for him to be able to learn from Matthew and to be able to come into this atmosphere and environment. Whenever that time comes for him to get an opportunity to be Matthew’s successor will be on Matthew’s terms. I think that’s really what the important thing was.”