Matthew Stafford announced to the world in February that he was coming back for his 18th NFL season in 2026. Fittingly, he did so during his MVP acceptance speech, committing to another season with the Los Angeles Rams.
On Thursday, the Rams signed Stafford to a contract extension through 2027, tacking on another year to his current deal. The initial reactions have been positive, but some have questioned why the Rams drafted Ty Simpson if they were planning to sign Stafford to an extension that includes $55 million in new money.
On the surface, it would seem like this contract guarantees Simpson won’t play until 2028 at the earliest. That’s simply not the case. Stafford’s deal changes nothing about the Rams’ decision to select Simpson. It doesn’t make it more puzzling, as some have suggested, nor does it make the pick a waste, as others have said.
The timeline for both quarterbacks remains exactly the same. Though we don’t know the exact details of Stafford’s deal, or how his retirement after the season will affect the salary cap, but by no means does this extension guarantee he’ll continue playing in 2027. There’s still a chance he could retire following the 2026 season.
This contract is simply to give the reigning MVP a raise, and keep him under contract in case he does want to keep playing next year. Les Snead said himself in March that the Rams are taking it year to year with their veteran quarterback, as they have since 2024 when they revised his contract, and then again in 2025.
“We’ve kind of said that the handshake is to take it year to year that he can focus on the 2026 mountain, and then we’ll worry about the ‘27 mountain and the ’28 mountain. And it’s been really good,” Snead said.
The Rams began contract negotiations with Stafford long before they drafted Simpson. They didn’t suddenly decide to add an extra year to his contract now after previously planning to only give him a 2026 raise. This has been in the works for months. They always planned to tack on another year to his deal in 2027 so that he isn’t in any danger of reaching free agency.
Until Stafford comes out and says he’s definitely playing another two seasons, this will be a year-by-year situation for the Rams and their quarterback. After each season, they’ll give Stafford some time and space to contemplate his future. And then they’ll likely head back to the negotiating table to hammer out another contract revision.
“The interesting thing is as we’ve done that, it doesn’t take long,” Snead said. “Maybe even less than 24 hours. Maybe even just 48 hours or so for him to give you an inkling of, ‘You know what, I want to climb another mountain with y’all.’”
This contract is basically a safety net. It would be much more difficult to iron out a contract if his deal were to expire after this season. Now, with another year added on, the Rams can either keep it the way it is in 2027 or revise it as they have in the last three offseasons, including this year.
There’s still a chance Simpson becomes the Rams’ starter next season. There’s also a chance Stafford puts off retirement for another year. That’s the beauty of this contract: All options are on the table.
And that’s the logic behind drafting Simpson. The Rams don’t know what Stafford’s plan for 2027 is. Stafford probably doesn’t even know what he plans to do next year. But because the Rams were proactive and drafted a successor, they’ll be OK in the event that Stafford does hang ‘em up after the season.
And if he decides to return, the Rams will happily welcome him back on his $55 million deal in 2027, delaying Simpson’s entry into the starting lineup for another year.
The biggest concern is that if Stafford does return in 2027, the Rams may only have a one-year sample size of Simpson’s play before having to decide on his fifth-year option during the 2029 offseason. Considering the sizable raise that comes with the fifth-year option, that may not be an easy decision if Simpson struggles in his one season as a starter.
But that’s a discussion for another day. The Rams aren’t even thinking about that possibility right now.
They can now go through the 2026 season knowing they’ll be set at quarterback in 2027 no matter what Stafford decides.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford’s extension doesn’t change anything about the Ty Simpson pick
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
