Rams, Matthew Stafford agree to extension keeping him in L.A. past 2026

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is back for another season. And he’s back with a new contract, too.

The reigning MVP has agreed to an extension that will keep him with the team past the 2026 season, the team announced Thursday.

Stafford, 38, needed just one week after his 17th and best-ever season to announce he would return for another year. He made the announcement on the stage while accepting his first MVP award after a season in which he led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.

At that point, he had just one season left on the two-year, $84 million deal he signed last offseason.

Stafford has always capitalized on moments to cash in on his value with new contracts. By early March, the Rams were in conversations with his representatives to find a new deal that reflects the value he brings and fits a player of his age.

Stafford’s return and new contract came to an earlier resolution this year than last, when he was coming off a 20-touchdown season and was planning to manage a degenerative back issue in training camp. Back then, Los Angeles allowed Stafford to test his market value with other teams before signing him to the new two-year contract.

That deal, with an average salary of $42 million, ranked 16th among quarterbacks last season. An MVP season brought an uptick in pay.

Now, Stafford will look to repeat as much of the success from 2025 as he can, which led the Rams to the No. 1 scoring offense and had them within a few yards of reaching the Super Bowl, when they lost 31-27 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.

This is a developing story and will be updated.