Matthew Stafford

Cooper Kupp could be primed for a big season.

The Los Angeles Rams is reportedly "all the way back" from a series of injuries suffered in the past two seasons that cost him a total of 13 games, including a hamstring issue last year, and has been Matthew Stafford's primary target in recent practices, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"He's on an absolute mission," a source close to Kupp told Fowler. "He was deeply affected about not being out there for parts of last year."

Kupp certainly believes he can return to elite status.

"I don't know if I would be still playing if I didn't think that that was still who I was," he told ESPN's Sarah Barshop in May. "That is who I believe myself to be. ... I am counting on myself to get there for my teammates, they're counting on me to be there on Sundays. And I believe that the work that I do, the things that how I prepare, all that stuff's going to be there to be the productive player that I know that I am. And I look forward to being able to get out there this year and play some good football."

The 31-year-old had one of the truly legendary receiver seasons in 2021, leading the NFL in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16). Last season's injury struggles gave rookie Puka Nacua room to shine, however, and he responded by posting 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns, along with a Pro Bowl bid.

Now, the Rams potentially have one of the NFL's best one-two punches at wideout, assuming Kupp can stay healthy.

"Last year really bothered Cooper," Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters at March's league meetings. "That's just who he is. And he didn't enjoy life last year. Probably almost to a fault. There's only one detriment. He may overtrain trying to get back, but he's definitely working hard. And I would bet on Cooper getting back and being healthy."

It appears the Rams will be getting a focus and motivated Kupp this season. That's bad news for the rest of the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams view Matthew Stafford's status with the franchise as something that will continue to be evaluated every offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Rams view the quarterback's future as a "year-to-year proposition" and that the team's signing of Jimmy Garoppolo could be viewed as an "insurance option" if Stafford were to leave after the 2024 season:

The Rams look at Stafford's future as a year-to-year proposition, per a team source. His reworked contract reflects that, pushing his 2024 pay into the $40 million range but lessening his guarantees in 2025, allowing both sides to decide whether they want to remain married at that point. This is one to watch closely: Stafford is only 36 and played like a top-five quarterback last season. The Rams believe he is still playing at a high level and would love to keep him around, but they don't know how both sides will feel at year's end. Maybe Stafford, who has dealt with many injuries, will want to retire. The ballooning quarterback market will undoubtedly be a factor here. Either way, I don't get the sense Stafford is angling for another team in 2025. It's worth noting that the Jimmy Garoppolo signing got the attention of some around the league -- that could be an insurance option for down the road.

Stafford remains one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL even as he enters his 16th season. He threw for 3,965 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games for Los Angeles in 2023, leading the team to a playoff berth in the process.

This was his first healthy season since 2021, when he led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. While he is 36-years-old and inching closer to retirement, his demonstrated ability to find success at this stage could bode well for him having multiple more seasons left in his career.

He currently is under contract through the 2026 season, although there is a potential out available after the 2025 season. He also could choose to retire during this contract, so the Rams could be faced with replacing him or restructuring his contract to give him motivation to remain with the franchise.

Stafford will be the quarterback in 2024 and another strong season could give him and the Rams the motivation needed to keep the train rolling

After Matthew Stafford agreed to an adjusted contract with the Los Angeles Rams last week, details have emerged on the terms of his new deal.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that Stafford's revised deal includes a $12.5 million signing bonus, $23.5 million guaranteed and a $4 million guaranteed March roster bonus.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported over the weekend that Stafford will be receiving an extra $5 million on his 2024 salary and an additional $4 million bonus for the 2025 season. He had a $31 million base salary this year.

While Stafford still had three years remaining on his contract, ESPN's Sarah Barshop reported that he only had a total of $15 million in guaranteed money on his deal prior to the adjustment. The agreement last week paved the way for the veteran signal-caller to attend training camp without any distractions.

"Listen, I'm happy to be where I am, you know what I mean?" Stafford said after agreeing to the adjusted deal. "I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be playing. I'm excited about playing football this year and that's what matters to me the most, to be honest."

Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Stafford for how he handled the situation this offseason.

"I was grateful that we were able to get the solution and I was also grateful for a lot of the dialogue that was able to exist," McVay said. "...I am relieved that it got done and I think in the manner at which it occurred was also healthy for everybody involved. And ultimately I'm excited for this team."

Stafford is coming off a strong 2023 season in which he threw for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games and helped lead the Rams to the playoffs. The 36-year-old is entering the latter stages of his career, so he will be motivated to chase another Super Bowl ring with Los Angeles this season.

The countdown of the NFL's top 100 players for the 2024 season entered the top 50 Friday, and a star running back who changed teams, game-changing wide receiver and two quarterbacks who were traded for each other headline the newest group.

Players themselves voted on the list, and those ranked No. 50 through No. 41 were released Friday.

Derrick Henry, Jared Goff, Ja'Marr Chase and Matthew Stafford were among those selected:

Henry will be firmly under the spotlight this season after signing with the Baltimore Ravens after playing for the Tennessee Titans during the first eight years of his career. While he is 30 years old with plenty of carries on his resume, he still surpassed 1,000 rushing yards last season for the fifth time in six years.

The Alabama product ran for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 214 yards.

While it is fair for Baltimore to be concerned with the reality he led the league in rushing attempts for the fourth time in five years, playing in an offense with Lamar Jackson means Henry might not face as much wear-and-tear as he did in Tennessee.

Baltimore is going to rely on the reigning MVP to make plays with both his legs and arm, and that will likely mean fewer carries for the veteran running back.

He isn't the only notable player from the AFC North on this list, as Chase checks in at No. 45 after reaching the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year to start his career. He finished last season with 100 catches for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns, although he is under the spotlight in training camp for contract reasons.

Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported the wide receiver sat out his second straight practice Thursday, while ESPN's Adam Schefter noted he wants a new contract.

Goff received one of those new contracts this offseason after leading the Detroit Lions to an NFC North crown and within one win of the Super Bowl. He even defeated Stafford's Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, although the former Lions signal-caller still checks in ahead of him on this list.

Stafford is the one with a Super Bowl title and the longer resume, so that's not exactly surprising. But they aren't far apart after being traded for each other ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Matthew Stafford will be at training camp after all.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that Stafford and the team came to terms on a new contract and the veteran quarterback would be reporting to camp.

"I am relieved," McVay said, adding that the negotiations were done in a "healthy" manner for both parties.

The news comes after Stafford's contract situation was under something of a spotlight this offseason.

While his contract previously ran through the 2026 season, the concern was with the lack of guaranteed money after the 2024 campaign. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported as much during a June 13 update.

"The issue here, from my understanding, is guaranteed money," Rapoport said. "Matthew Stafford has his salary for this year guaranteed, after that … none guaranteed. … It sounds to me like he just wants to know that he is going to be back. Wants to know that his spot on the roster is secure and that he is appreciated."

Two days prior to Rapoport's report, ESPN's Sarah Barshop noted Rams head coach Sean McVay said he expected Stafford to be present at training camp and was pleased with the quarterback's leadership during OTAs and minicamp even amid the contract speculation.

"I couldn't be more impressed with the way he's handled it, the way that he's led," McVay said. "[He's] been here every single day doing his thing, and that sure means a lot to me."

While Stafford will be 36 years old going into the 2024 season, he just led the Rams to the playoffs in 2023 by completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games.

It was an important bounce-back effort after he was limited to nine games in 2022 and went 3-6 as a starter. Injuries were a concern throughout that campaign, and the Rams placed him on injured reserve after he dealt with concussion protocol, a neck injury and an elbow issue.

The 2023 version of Stafford was closer to the one that secured his place in Los Angeles franchise history during the 2021 season when he led the team to a Super Bowl title in his first year after it acquired him from the Detroit Lions via trade.

He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions that season and lifted his first Lombardi Trophy.

This new contract comes with that history as something of a backdrop. What's more, the Rams don't exactly have a clear long-term succession plan after Stafford with 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett behind him on the depth chart.

There is no question Stafford is still the quarterback of the present and now the immediate future for Los Angeles, and he figures to have a number of productive years remaining if he can stay healthy.

He isn't far removed from leading the franchise to the Lombardi Trophy, and it rewarded him accordingly with this deal.

Executives, coaches and scouts around the NFL consider the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford the top NFC quarterback heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The surveyed league leaders ranked the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff at No. 2 in the conference, with the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love rounding out the top five, Fowler said on ESPN's SportsCenter.

The Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts was not named to the list.

Fowler noted that Stafford and Goff topping the executive, coach and scout rankings indicate that these conference leaders use more than just statistics to value quarterbacks.

"This is where I love my project, because if you go by the numbers, maybe (Stafford's) not No. 1 in the NFC," Fowler said. "But eye test, ability to lift his teammates— one NFC executive called him a 'kingmaker.'

"Puka Nacua, good player. With Stafford, he's great. Cooper Kupp, good player. With Stafford, he's great... his presence creates a massive swing for a team in a winning direction."

Just behind Stafford in the poll was Goff, who Fowler said did not receive any votes in his annual executive, coaches and scouts poll as recently as three years ago.

The new ranking represents his improving representation among NFL front offices, with one survey respondent calling Goff "the very best in the NFL in throwing against zone coverage," according to Fowler.

Fowler has yet to release the entirety of the 2024 survey, although AFC quarterbacks are likely to dominate for the second straight year.

Last season five rival-conference signal callers led the survey with the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers and Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert ranking top in the NFL.

Among NFC quarterbacks on the 2023 survey, Hurts ranked top in the conference. This season the rise of Goff and Stafford appears to have bumped him out of the top five.

While veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford reportedly doesn't plan on holding out of training camp with the Los Angeles Rams, it sounds like he's still not happy with his current contract.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that the issue is that Stafford is "seeking an adjusted contract with more guaranteed money."

Rams head coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that he expects Stafford to be present when training camp begins next month and added that contract negotiations with the veteran signal-caller would remain "in-house."

Rapoport explained that Stafford is seeking more security in his deal with Los Angeles.

"I'm sure he wants to be paid more, everybody in the world wants to be paid more. The issue here, from my understanding, is guaranteed money," Rapoport said, adding that the salaries for the two years on Stafford's contract following the 2024 season are non-guaranteed.

Stafford is set to make $31 million this season, but the booming market for quarterbacks over the past few years has the other top players at his position making upwards of $50 million in yearly salary. While Stafford reportedly isn't seeking a raise, he proved that he deserves to have his contract restructured this offseason.

The 36-year-old was selected to his second career Pro Bowl in 2023 after throwing for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games and leading the Rams to a playoff berth. It was a strong bounce-back year for Stafford after he was limited to nine games in 2022 due to an elbow injury.

Stafford has attended the entirety of the Rams' offseason program so far, so the team shouldn't be worried about his contract situation becoming hostile. However, it would be wise for Los Angeles to meet his contract demands, as he appears ready to end his career with the franchise he led to a Super Bowl title in 2021.