LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quarterback Matthew Stafford has agreed to a four-year contract extension through 2026 with the Los Angeles Rams after winning the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
The deal signed Saturday by Stafford is worth $160 million, with $135 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.
Stafford would thus be capitalizing on his spectacular debut season with the Rams, after spending 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft and traded him to Los Angeles a year ago.
The quarterback will be 38 years old in the last season contemplated by the extension.
Stafford heads into the final year of his previous five-year, $135 million deal, which he signed with Detroit. However, he had insisted that he did not plan to change teams.
His new contract is clearly timed to allow the Rams to retain more of the team that was crowned and add new players. Almost certainly Stafford could have received more money, being ranked at the top of the quarterback market.
Aaron Rodgers’ new contract with the Packers is essentially for three years and $150 million.
Stafford has never won a playoff game in 12 seasons with the Lions, but he reached his enormous potential immediately after joining coach Sean McVay and an attack packed with talent, including Cooper Kupp, who became the NFL leader in receptions. during his first year of partnership with the quarterback.
In the 17-game regular season, Stafford set a franchise record with 4,886 passing yards. He tied Kurt Warner’s team record with 41 touchdown passes and led the Rams to the NFC West title.
He then excelled in the first four postseason wins of his career. He passed for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns with just three interceptions. He led game-winning offenses in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles’ last three postseason games, including a Super Bowl win over Cincinnati at SoFi Stadium.
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