Raiders seem comfortable with Stafford contract demands

If the Raiders and Matthew Stafford agree on a contract, the ball moves to the Rams’ court

The latest news on the Matthew Stafford, Raiders “ski resort drama” is that the two sides have found “common ground” on a contract for the quarterback. The NFL has obviously cleared the Raiders of any wrongdoing in talking to Stafford because the Rams implored the quarterback to do just that (as usual, Mike Florio was just hoping to get some unnecessary clicks when he stirred that up) and it sounds as though the two sides are coming close to an agreement.

The only sticking point is that Stafford is under contract with the Rams, so even if the quarterback desperately wants to go to Las Vegas, it won’t happen unless L.A. feels adequately compensated for the player.

In his latest update for The Las Vegas Review Journal, Vincent Bonsignore writes that Stafford and the Raiders have found “common ground” on a new contract.

Whether Stafford gets what he wants remains to be seen, but NFL sources indicate the Raiders and his camp have found common ground on what a potential new contract could look like.

It’s now about coming to terms with the Rams on a trade package.

Bonsignore adds that while the Rams will want the sixth overall pick, the Raiders see that selection as a key piece to building a team around Stafford and will be hesitant to give it up.

But money is anything but an issue for the Raiders: They have the most cap space over the next two years.

As I wrote two days ago in relation to the Giants, another team said to really want Stafford, the Rams are much more likely to get a conditional first round pick in 2026, as well as day two picks in 2025. Even if the Raiders and Giants get into a bidding war for Stafford, it remains improbable that either of them would go as far as to offer their top-6 draft pick.

And although Stafford does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, it is unrealistic to expect him to not choose the team he goes to because that’s asking for another Haason Reddick type situation where he sits out until he gets what he wants. As Las Vegas is much closer to Malibu than New York, it is most probable that Stafford wants to go to the Raiders.

The situation is ridiculously similar to the Aaron Rodgers situation two years ago, when the whole world knew that Rodgers was going to the Jets and it was just a matter of time before they could agree on compensation. Eventually, the Packers got a conditional first round pick, which became a second rounder when Rodgers missed the entire 2023 season.

One thing is for sure:

If the Raiders have agreed to a contract with Matthew Stafford that gives him a raise, that’s already more than the Rams have proven willing to do.