The Los Angeles Rams answered the biggest question of their offseason. Matthew Stafford will return to Los Angeles for at least one more season after the star quarterback agreed to a restructured contract with the team.
It turns out, however, that Stafford was very close to leaving Los Angeles. According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Las Vegas Raiders made a huge contract offer for the 37-year-old during the NFL Scouting Combine.
Led by Tom Brady and new head coach Pete Carroll, the Raiders were reportedly willing to give Stafford a two-year deal worth $90 to $100 million.
Since Stafford was technically under contract with the Rams, this would have had to happen via a trade. The Raiders were reportedly willing to give up a second-round pick in the deal and per Tafur and Reed, this could have been enough to get it done.
Stafford, however, wasn't interested. He decided to stay in Los Angeles instead of prioritizing money with the Raiders and the Giants.
"But the Rams stayed in contact with him the last couple of days after they allowed him to test the market with the Giants and Raiders, and Stafford was unable to walk away, choosing home and a team that nearly beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs."The Athletic
The details of Stafford's new contract with the Rams are unknown. So, we don't know the extent of the financial sacrifice Stafford made to stay in Los Angeles.
Considering the dearth of options at quarterback this offseason, the Rams would have been in a difficult situation if Stafford were to force his way out to Las Vegas. Trading for Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins would have been viable alternatives, but every Rams fan would presumably agree that riding with Stafford is the much more preferable option.
The Raiders, on the other hand, will continue to look for their franchise quarterback after starting five different signal-callers over the last two seasons.