REPORT: Rams, Stafford Still Far Apart in Negotiations

The Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the offseason knowing a difficult challenge in their relationship was on the horizon. Stafford is entering the last couple of seasons on his current contract, but the money he is due over that time puts the team in an undeniable financial difficulty.

While normally the team's money is not necessarily a player's concern, the more money the team pays Stafford, the less they can pay to pay other players to surround Stafford with as he gets another year older. As Stafford gets closer to turning 40 years old, the more of the workload that Rams could take off his plate, the better. Still, the most pressing issue between the two, is Stafford's contract, which puts both sides in a challenging position.

It has been reported that both sides are working towards a contract that is more team friendly. However, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reported that the two sides met shortly before the Super Bowl but have yet made much progress on Stafford's contract situation.

“The sides met to talk before the Super Bowl, although not much progressed after their opening conversations, and will pick back up in the coming weeks, a league source said," Rodrigue said.

This is at least somewhat concerning, as Stafford is the team's most critical issue of the offseason. In a quarterback-driven league, the Rams have one of the best in the NFL but could soon be without him, leaving the team in an unexpected situation this summer
and Stafford in another team's uniform.

As farfetched as it may seem that Stafford could eventually end up elsewhere, a stall in contract negotiations has ruined many positive relationships between teams and their star players. Stafford would not be the first nor the last player to experience this. Stafford and the Rams are truly in a unique position, as Stafford still has plenty left in the tank but his contract undoubtedly stretches the Rams' thin financially. As much as both sides would prefer to stay together, there is a chance they could go their separate ways later this offseason.

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