One new deal down, two more to go.
After rewarding quarterback Matthew Stafford with an extension, the Rams continue to work on a new contract for defensive lineman Aaron Donald and have been in discussions with wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a new one as well, head coach Sean McVay told reporters Tuesday during his press conference at the NFL Annual Meetings in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Stafford signed his new deal on March 19, locking him in through the 2026 season and providing long-term stability at a position that has seen a fair amount turnover throughout the league over this offseason and last offseason.
"It's a big deal," McVay said of Stafford's four-year extension. "I think anytime that you're able to solidify the quarterback position for years to come, especially when you've got a guy like Matthew, that's big, and you can really see that. I thought he did a great job working with our group. I that says a lot about him where he did a great job working in coordination with our group to do a deal that, hey, he deserves all the credit, but I think he also has a big picture understanding of, 'Alright, how can we structure this in a way that allows us to be able to continue to surround him with good players,' and really fortunate for that."
Just as high of an offseason priority for McVay and general manager Les Snead is getting a new deal for Donald done. McVay said the Rams are continuing to work through that, and that they have also had "good dialogue" with Kupp and his agent, Ryan Tollner.
"I think those guys have earned that right, and that is something that we're still monitoring (and) working through," McVay said.
Kupp became the NFL's fourth receiving "triple crown" winner since the merger after leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16) last season and later earned Super Bowl MVP for his eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score, in the Rams' 23-20 victory over the Bengals last month. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl.
Meanwhile, Donald posted his fifth-consecutive season with double-digit sacks (12.5), plus 84 total tackles, 25 QB hits and four forced fumbles en route to his eighth-straight Pro Bowl nod and seventh-straight First-Team All-Pro selection.
Besides supporting Kupp's historic season and connecting with him on the go-ahead touchdown in the Super Bowl, Stafford completed 404 of 601 pass attempts for 4,886 yards with 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in the first season of the league's 17-game era. His passing yards ranked third in the NFL and set a single-season franchise record, while his passing touchdowns ranked second and tied Kurt Warner's single-season franchise record.
