Rams offseason: A look at what the team needs to address

Stafford has played 16 seasons — four with the Rams — and will turn 37 in a few weeks.

The Super Bowl-champion quarterback continues to move up the NFL’s all-time passing lists, has displayed no discernible drop-off in his elite skills and has never hinted publicly that he was ready to retire.

But Stafford and his representatives have watched the quarterback market escalate since 2022, when he signed an extension that runs through 2026.

During last year’s draft, Stafford’s demand for a contract adjustment came to light in what appeared to be a strategic leak. Stafford participated in offseason workouts but he was never made available to reporters. On the eve of training camp, with the apparent possibility that Stafford might not report, the Rams bent on some level to his demands. They fronted him $5 million that was scheduled to be paid in 2025.

Next season, Stafford is due to earn $23 million in salary, though only $4 million is guaranteed, according to Overthecap.com. He is scheduled to carry a salary-cap number of $49.7 million, according to the website.

So what will the Rams do when Stafford’s agents come calling again?

Backup Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent. As much as McVay has said he admires Garoppolo and the veteran’s resume, Garoppolo does not possess the next-level command of McVay’s offense, the arm talent or the late-game savvy that Stafford has demonstrated throughout his career.

This year’s draft does not have marquee quarterback talent a la 2016, when Snead took a giant swing and traded up 14 spots to select Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick.

So it is never out of the realm of possibility for Snead to pull off a blockbuster trade. See: Rams trade Goff and two first-round picks to Detroit for Stafford. And you can be certain that Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and other contending teams in search of a quarterback would love to add Stafford.
If McVay desires a new-era quarterback with dual-threat skills, he might have to wait awhile.

For at least one more season, Stafford gives the Rams the best chance to win.