The Rams and Matthew Stafford’s offseason? Yeah, it was straight-up chaos. One day, it sounded like he was out the door, the next, he was back in L.A. like nothing happened. But while all the headlines focused on contract drama, there might’ve been something way bigger lurking beneath the surface. Something the Rams didn’t want anyone to know.
Turns out, there’s a real chance L.A. was downplaying an injury to Stafford the whole time. In the latest podcast of Scoop City, NFL insider Dianna Russini didn’t hold back, saying, “To say that this was a clean, non-dramatic few weeks between the Rams and Matthew Stafford is a lie”. If Stafford was hurt, it would explain why the Rams weren’t rushing to lock him down long-term. Instead, they let him test the waters while keeping any health concerns quiet. It’s probably so they wouldn’t lose leverage in negotiations.
Russini compared the whole situation to a messy breakup, saying Stafford kept flip-flopping on what he wanted. “There were days where it sounded like Matthew was done with them, and then there were days where I would hear that, ‘I don’t know, this may work’.” One day, it felt like Matthew Stafford was so over the Rams. The next? Suddenly, he’s back like nothing ever happened. That kind of back-and-forth isn’t normal—unless, of course, teams around the league weren’t totally sold on his health. The Giants and Raiders reportedly showed interest, and the Giants were even ready to throw $90-100 million in guaranteed money his way. But just like that, Stafford stayed put. Either the Rams backed up the truck, or other teams got cold feet because they knew something the rest of us didn’t.
Even Chase Daniel was raising an eyebrow at the money situation, saying, “First of all, the money hasn’t come out yet, right? So I’m imagining it’s not what you had reported in the $90 to $100 million range.” The Rams did adjust his contract, and while reports claim he got a “very significant raise,” the actual numbers are locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Before all this, Stafford was set to make $27 million in 2025 and $29 million in 2026. If the Rams had any doubts about his durability, they probably structured the deal so they wouldn’t be on the hook if things went sideways.
Sean McVay, meanwhile, acted like this was all just business as usual. “There were certainly discussions, but I always felt like this would work itself out,” he said. Alright, Coach, but if Stafford was perfectly fine, why was he even entertaining the idea of bouncing? If his contract was solid and his body was good to go, why test the waters? The math ain’t mathing.
And let’s talk about the Rams’ level of secrecy—because whew. Even NBC Sports reported that Stafford got a “very significant raise” for 2025, but the exact numbers? Still a giant question mark. His wife, Kelly Stafford, even popped up on social media, assuring everyone their family is happy in L.A. But was this really about keeping Stafford happy, or were the Rams just playing it safe—keeping him around while making sure they weren’t stuck paying big bucks for a QB whose health might be a ticking time bomb?
One thing’s for sure—this story isn’t over. If the Rams really did cover up an injury, it wouldn’t be the first time an NFL team pulled a fast one with a star player’s health. Whether Stafford was part of the act or just caught in the middle, the L.A. drama is just getting started.
Something’s off: Reporter spills tea on Stafford’s sketchy contract situation
Matthew Stafford is still rocking that Rams jersey, but let’s be real—his contract situation has been straight-up sketchy. If L.A. was really all-in on him, why not lock him down for multiple years? And why did other teams seem hesitant to go all in? NFL insider Dianna Russini said it best: “I had somebody that was poking around on this… they feel like the Rams know something that we don’t.” Uh, major red flag.
The easiest guess? Injuries. Stafford’s basically been held together with duct tape and determination for years, but he always toughs it out. “He’s always been hurt, though, right? Always. He’s like walking hurt. But who cares? He plays through it,” Russini pointed out. So, if injuries aren’t the issue, why are the Rams acting so weird about his contract? Maybe they know something about his health that the rest of us don’t, and instead of locking themselves into a bad deal, they’re playing it safe.
Or plot twist—maybe this isn’t about Stafford at all. Russini floated another spicy theory: what if Sean McVay is secretly trying to move on? “Maybe in Sean McVay’s mind, he wants to get a young quarterback on his roster so he can mold him the way we’ve seen these other young, great offensive-minded coaches do.” Honestly? Makes a lot of sense. McVay’s watched his former coaching buddies, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O’Connell, turn mid-tier QBs into absolute weapons. Maybe he wants a crack at building his own project QB.
That could explain why the Rams basically let Stafford test the waters instead of fighting to keep him. Maybe they wanted him to walk, clearing the way for a new guy. But when no team came through with a massive bag, the Rams hit the ‘lol jk’ button, reworked his contract, and kept it pushing.
So what’s really going on here? Is this just some standard business move, or is there a deeper storyline we haven’t uncovered yet? Either way, one thing’s clear—the Rams aren’t acting like a team that’s fully locked in on Stafford long-term. Something’s up, and it’s only a matter of time before the real tea spills.
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