Matthew Stafford moved from Detroit to Los Angeles in search of a Super Bowl ring.
He earned that with his play, and along the way, he found a new home.
Stafford's four-year, $160 million extension secured his place as the franchise quarterback of the Rams. Stafford will make an average of $40 million per year throughout the extension, which runs through the 2026 season.
More importantly, the contract extension addresses a question Stafford already addressed with his performance. Rams coach Sean McVay entered the 2021 offseason in search of a reliable upgrade at quarterback, and found it in Stafford, who helped throw the Rams to their first Super Bowl triumph since the 1999 season. The new deal ensures McVay will enjoy such dependability for years to come.
"I just had so much fun playing for this team this year, playing for this organization, this coaching staff, and I wanted to make sure I was able to do this for a long time," Stafford said Monday, via ESPN. "I obviously wanted to say thanks to the Rams for giving me that opportunity. It was a lot of hard work getting to this point. I'm just happy where we are and to know what the future looks like for me and for our team. It's an exciting thing as a player to kind of know where you are going to be and be able to put some roots down and really go try to make something really special for a while.
"I was just trying to find something that felt good for both sides where we are able to continue to add players and pieces around me."
The Rams have already added pieces, shipping Robert Woods elsewhere and replacing him with Allen Robinson via free agency. While Woods' reliability will be missed in Los Angeles, Robinson's arrival provides Stafford with a receiver who can make difficult grabs against tight coverage. Now coupled with Super Bowl LVI Most Valuable Player Cooper Kupp, Robinson has the best opportunity of his at times trying professional career to thrive.
"Just kind of watching Matt's career from afar, seeing all of the receivers he's played with and being able to see everything he's been able to help his receivers accomplish ... being able to kind of step into that and being able to build that rapport and that relationship, that's what I'm looking forward to,'' Robinson said during his introductory press conference Monday.
The Rams might not be done, either. Odell Beckham made it clear prior to Super Bowl LVI he wants to be back in Los Angeles in 2022, and although an ACL injury suffered in that game will cost him a good portion of the upcoming season, he could still return at an affordable price in time to make a difference for Los Angeles. Much like his in-season arrival helped propel the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2021, Beckham could make a similar impact along a familiar timeline.
Even without him, the Rams look strong on paper, especially if third-year receiver Van Jefferson takes the next step in his development as a pro. It has Stafford feeling optimistic about his new future in the city in which he finally secured the greatest triumph of all in professional football.
"It looks pretty good on paper,'' he said. "It's on us to go out there and make sure that comes to life. ... We've got to go out there and prove it.''
Just like Stafford was tasked with doing a year ago, the Rams will have to prove the hype worthwhile with their play. They'll have a ring to polish as they prepare to run it back in 2022.
