Matthew Stafford: Rams Contract Talks Were 'A Little Nerve-Wracking' Before Return

Los Angeles Rams star quarterback Matthew Stafford spent a few weeks as a trade candidate before ultimately deciding to stay put after receiving a restructured contract from the team.

During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, Stafford opened up about the process of his return to the Rams.

"That was a little nerve-wracking there for a little bit, just trying to figure out what was gonna go down," Stafford said at the 9:21 mark. "But happy to be back wearing Rams colors, playing at So-Fi, doing the thing."

This marked the second straight offseason that Stafford was mired in a contract dispute with the Rams. However, things were resolved much quicker this time, as he didn't reach an agreement with the team last offseason until the day before training camp officially started.

The 37-year-old explained that he always knew that his contract would have to be adjusted once again this offseason.

"I think it was kind of a joint process," Stafford said at the 13:43 mark. "I wasn't a free agent, I still had two years left on my deal and we kind of worked something out last year at the 11th hour to figure it out right before training camp with the understanding that we're gonna come back and readdress this if I want to play again the next year. ... So it was like, 'All right, let's figure out how to get this done.'"

Before agreeing to the restructured deal, Stafford's name was floated in rumors linking him to quarterback-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants. Still, he never lost confidence in the Rams' desire to keep him in the fold, and he's happy to continue moving forward with the organization that he led to a Super Bowl title in 2021.

"I think in the end, I know that they wanted me back, I wanted to be back, we just had to figure that out and get to that point," Stafford added. "We did, and I'm sure as hell happy that I'm gonna be here for at least another year and hopefully some after that."