Stafford will turn 40 in February 2028 and will have to decide between retirement, negotiating yet another contract or finding a new home to continue playing before Day 10 of the new league year.
The details of Stafford’s new deal are important not because of the money he will be due in 2026 and 2027 — $45 million in 2026 and $50 million in 2027 — but because they put firm timelines on what has been an otherwise murky process for the quarterback and the Rams over the past two offseasons. In 2025, Stafford flirted with the idea of leaving the Rams for another chance elsewhere (specifically with the Raiders) before agreeing to stay in Los Angeles, and while he quickly committed to returning in 2026, it took him and the Rams months to work out the deal.
With this agreement, the process should be cleaner for both parties in the coming years. He could also earn a little extra cash along the way: Stafford can earn $5 million in incentives in each of the next two seasons if the Rams win the NFC championship and the Super Bowl (with 70% playing time in each game).