Stafford deserves a pay raise, and the Rams better pay him

With the wounds still fresh from Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, Matthew Stafford said he needs some time to decide his next move.

On one level it’s a fairly cut and dried decision: Stafford either stays on with the Rams and makes one more run at another Super Bowl championship. Or he opts for retirement, thus ending an illustrious 17 year career.

Unless, of course, there is something deeper going on.

Is Stafford angling for one more big pay day?

If so, he has the Rams over a barrel. With Stafford in the fold they remain a Super Bowl contender. In fact if they get their special teams unit squared away, they will likely go into next season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Without him, they are a good team with a glaring hole at the most important position on the field. No better than half the other teams in the league.

So yes, it behooves them to be on board with a new contract. If that is indeed the play Stafford is making.

Multiple league sources indicated that might be just what Stafford is doing – using the uncertainty about his future to induce the Rams into a new contract. At the very least, a bump in the $42 million he’s set to earn in 2026.

And when it comes to seeking a pay hike, no one has a better argument to make than Stafford, who is coming off a spectacular regular season that is likely to earn him his first league MVP award.

The $42 million he’s owed next year is a shockingly low number compared to his NFL quarterback colleagues. In fact, it makes Stafford the 16th highest paid quarterback in the league next year.

Among the quarterbacks who will make more than Stafford are Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1 million), Jalen Hurts ($51 million), Kyler Murray and Dehshaun Watson ($46 million), and Kirk Cousins at $45 million.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will make $60 million next year.

If you’re Stafford and coming off a season in which you threw a league-high 46 touchdowns, 4,407 yards and just led your team to the NFC championship game, wouldn’t you think you deserve more money?

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If so, he and the Rams might be right back where they were this time last year when they hit a wall in contract extension negotiations. Remember, the Rams gave Stafford permission to explore trades with other teams – essentially to gauge his financial market – leading to lucrative offers from both the Raiders and Giants.

Those offers laid the groundwork for the contract extension the Rams and Stafford ultimately agreed on: A two-year, $84 million deal through the 2026 season.

Stafford already collected $42 million, with an additional $40 million becoming fully guaranteed on March 16, or the fifth day of the new league year.

That is peanuts compared to the rest of the NFL.

Stafford knows it.

And so do the Rams, who really have nowhere to turn to find a suitable replacement.

Jimmy Garoppolo, his backup, hasn’t played in a big game in two seasons. The free agency market is filled with has-beens and question marks.

Unless Marcus Mariota or Malik Willis do it for you.

Could there be options on the trade market?

Sure, if you’re willing to take on a ridiculous contract for a reclamation project.

Tagovailoa, Murray, Watson come to mind.

No thanks.

The Rams are a Super Bowl contender, but only if they bring Stafford back.

Doing so might mean digging back into Stan Kroenke’s wallet. $50 million could be a nice starting point.