Matthew Stafford contract: How much Los Angeles Rams' QB is making in 2024
Week 8's "Thursday Night Football" game brings the Minnesota Vikings out to the west coast for a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Minnesota (5-1) is coming off its first loss of the season to the Lions while Los Angeles (2-4) earned its second win of the year over the Raiders.
Los Angeles' offense is struggling compared to last season. The Rams have had a slew of injuries with multiple offensive linemen and wide receivers missing time in 2024. Despite those setbacks, quarterback Matthew Stafford is still a top-12 quarterback in the league in completion percentage (66.7%) and yards per game (232.0).
Stafford came to the Rams from the Lions in a January 2020 trade and won Super Bowl LVI in the ensuing season. He made his second career Pro Bowl last year as the Rams made the playoffs.
Stafford will turn 37 in February – two days before Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. Here's what his contract looks like as well as his latest retirement timeline.
Matthew Stafford contract details
Stafford signed a four-year extension with the Rams after winning Super Bowl 56. Here's the terms of that extension, per Spotrac figures:
- Term: Four years
- Total value: $160 million
- Average annual value (AAV): $40 million
- Guaranteed money: $130 million
How much is Matthew Stafford making this season?
Here's what Stafford is making in 2024 per Spotrac:
- Total salary cap hit: $46.16 million
- Base salary: $23.5 million
- Signing bonus: $12 million
- Restructuring bonus: $4.16 million
- Option bonus: $6.5 million
Stafford's cap hit is the third-highest in the NFL this season. Only Arizona's Kyler Murray ($49.12 million) and New York's Daniel Jones ($47.86 million) have higher cap hits.
Despite the high cap hit, Stafford's contract isn't in the top 10 among quarterbacks in total value, AAV, and guaranteed money.
Can the Rams trade or cut Matthew Stafford?
On this current deal, the Rams can cut or trade Stafford before the 2025 or the 2026 NFL seasons. Here's how the dead money and savings would play out in each scenario, per OverTheCap's figures:
2025
- Cut pre-June 1: $49.3 million dead money, $333,332 cap savings
- Cut post-June 1: $26.66 million dead money, $23 million cap savings
- Trade pre-June 1: $45.33 million dead money, $4.33 million cap savings
- Trade post-June 1: $22.66 million dead money, $27 million cap savings
2026
- Cut pre-June 1: $22.66 million dead money, $31 million cap savings
- Cut post-June 1: $22.66 million dead money, $31 million cap savings
- Trade pre-June 1: $22.66 million dead money, $31 million cap savings
- Trade post-June 1: $22.66 million dead money, $31 million cap savings
Matthew Stafford retirement timeline
Stafford was on an episode of the "Pardon My Take" podcast in August and talked about his eventual retirement.
"I hope I’ve got three or four more left in me," he said. "We’ll see. Every year is a new year, but I do feel good.”
Stafford is not the oldest quarterback in the NFL. That title goes to New York Jets starter Aaron Rodgers (40 years old). Stafford is the fifth-oldest behind Rodgers, Indianapolis' Joe Flacco (39), Baltimore's Josh Johnson (38), and Carolina's Andy Dalton (36).
"I walk into a locker room with guys who were 6, 7, 8, 9 years old when I first came into the league, which is kind of crazy to think about," Stafford said on the podcast. "But I definitely appreciate my opportunities and appreciate this game. I mean, it’s given me a ton."
Matthew Stafford stats
Stafford's completed 132 of 198 passes for 1,392 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions this season.
If he stays healthy, Stafford may reach 60,000 career passing yards this season. He'd need to finish the year with 3,953 passing yards, just 12 fewer than he had in 15 games last season.
Stafford would become just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach that 60,000 career passing yards mark. The other nine are:
- Tom Brady (89,214)
- Drew Brees (80,358)
- Peyton Manning (71,940)
- Brett Favre (71,838)
- Ben Roethlisberger (64,088)
- Philip Rivers (63,440)
- Matt Ryan (62,792)
- Dan Marino (61,361)
- Aaron Rodgers (60,718)