Matthew Stafford, with nearly $400,000,000, has earned more than Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in his NFL career

Signing a one-year extension with the Los Angeles Rams made quarterback Matthew Stafford the highest-earning NFL player ever.

Matthew Stafford, with nearly $400,000,000, has earned more than Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in his NFL career

Matthew Stafford (Image via IMAGO)

Matthew Stafford set a new record by signing his new contract with the Los Angeles Rams. This took Stafford past Aaron Rodgers as the highest-earning NFL player of all time.

Ex-Georgia QB Stafford signed his first professional contract with the Detroit Lions after being drafted first overall in 2009. He played 12 seasons for the NFC North team, earning multiple deals before the Lions traded him to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 in exchange for Jared Goff.

Signing for the Rams turned out to be the correct move for Stafford. He won the Super Bowl during his debut season with the LA franchise. The following year, he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Rams ($40 million per year).

However, the Rams seemed keen to move on from Stafford following their playoff run in 2024. Eventually, they decided to keep the 2x Pro Bowler as their starting quarterback.

The Rams and Stafford agreed to restructure his contract, allowing him a significant jump from his $27 million in 2024. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams didn’t add more years to Stafford’s deal, but it ensured him $65 million for the next five years instead of just $4 million.

Spotrac reported the new extension made Matthew Stafford the highest-earning NFL player ever ($391,313,912).

  1. Matthew Stafford – $391.3M
  2. Aaron Rodgers – $380.6M
  3. Tom Brady – $332.9M
  4. Kirk Cousins – $321.6M
  5. Russell Wilson – $315.8M

New details emerge about Matthew Stafford’s contract with the Rams

The details of Stafford’s contract weren’t made public instantly. It took the Rams a month to document all the nitty-gritty. And yet there’s very little known about it aside from the main numbers.

Matthew Stafford, with nearly $400,000,000, has earned more than Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in his NFL career
Matthew Stafford (Image via IMAGO)

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with several Rams executives at the owners’ meeting in Miami. Fowler learned that the franchise is still in the process of settling on every detail of Stafford’s contract.

[The Rams head coach] Sean McVay revealing this week that quarterback Matthew Stafford might not have signed his new contract, here’s what I heard about the situation coming out of the owners meetings: The deal is agreed upon in principle but a few minor details must be hashed out.

Jeremy Fowler learned

The contract states that the Rams can’t trade Stafford. This resulted in him bagging the revamped compensation.

The [Los Angeles] Rams would increase his compensation in 2025, which was a priority for Stafford. And [Matthew] Stafford eschewed massive money on the trade market to remain a Ram, as long as the team respected his stature in the game with a more enticing deal, which they feel they did.

Jeremy Fowler said

Unless the Rams reveal the minor details of the contract, then it’s difficult to determine the extent of how much Stafford will earn in 2025-26, or the years after that, if he sticks around that long.

The Rams might draft a quarterback

While there’s not enough noise around the Rams drafting a quarterback, unlike the Titans, Browns, and Giants, the NFC West team does need depth behind Matthew Stafford. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo signed an extension, and Stetson Bennett is the third choice. But neither are viewed as long-term replacements for Stafford.

Recently ESPN’s Matt Miller pitched for the Rams to draft Jaxson Dart. They hold the 26th overall pick, making them the ideal team to pick the ex-Ole Miss QB.

Dart’s stock has risen in the last few months. Some analysts and executives even consider him the second-best quarterback behind Miami’s Cam Ward. Selecting Dart now would be a great move from McVay and general manager Les Snead. Unless another QB-needy team snaps him up, the Rams should take a chance.

Related: 3 reasons why the 2025 NFL season will be ‘make or break’ for Joe Burrow