Futures of Rams’ core veterans are big offseason decisions

It has been a week since the Rams’ season ended. General manager Les Snead apparently will need at least a few more days before he can start seriously thinking about the next one.

“We’re going to somehow try to get through this weekend,” Snead said Friday.

Snead probably won’t watch the NFC championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders on Sunday. Instead, Snead, coach Sean McVay, president Kevin Demoff and vice-president Tony Pastoors will navigate a “rejuvenation period” before diving headlong into the Rams’ major offseason issues.

“We’ll have a macro plan, macro cap, macro budget and try to, let’s call it, engineer a team that keeps the momentum going from this one,” Snead said during a news conference with reporters.

No offseason issue looms larger than quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The 16-year veteran is under contract through the 2026 season but, as the Rams uncomfortably found out last offseason, Stafford is not satisfied with what has become a below-market deal. The drama quietly played out through the draft and offseason workouts before the Rams finally bent to his demands and agreed to adjust his contract.

Another round of adjustments could be on the table.

If Stafford, who turns 37 in two weeks, does not retire, could Snead definitively say that Stafford would be back?

“He still has years with us, so he’s still a Ram,” Snead said. “I know this: We’ll sit down with all parties to work through that portion of it when we get to that. … That’s something that’s going to be a big line item.

Will quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) be handing the football to running back Kyren Williams for the Rams next season?

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“I think Sean mentioned it. You don’t want those types of issues dragging out throughout the offseason and kind of being a theme going into the season.”

If the Rams and Stafford cannot agree on a way to move forward, another trade involving the quarterback is not out of the realm of possibility. In 2021, two weeks after the Rams lost a divisional-round game against the Green Bay Packers, Snead traded quarterback Jared Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions to acquire Stafford, who led them to a Super Bowl title in his first season.

“On that one,” Snead said, “Matthew probably disturbed our rejuvenation period because I think we did play in the divisional round that year and then maybe a week later is when it leaked that he would like to be traded and the Lions were thinking of trading him, so we had to get back to work a little bit quicker than we wanted to.”

Snead did not sound as if the Rams are actively shopping Stafford but also did not say he would not be traded.

“On trades, it’ll take someone calling or us reaching out if we want to do that,” he said. “Those are the things that’ll be determined down the road.”

Receiver Cooper Kupp’s situation is the other major issue. Early this season, the Rams pondered dealing the 2021 offensive player of the year and Super Bowl most valuable player, but kept him and then watched his production wane. Asked if the Rams would trade the receiver if he does not agree to restructure the extension he signed in 2022, Snead said he could not answer that because they had not spoken to Kupp about the situation.

Snead mentioned that Stafford and Kupp were among “a subset of players” — one that almost certainly includes right tackle Rob Havenstein and tight end Tyler Higbee — “that are coming to the end of their careers,” and contracts.

“Do you keep going forward with that same contract?” Snead said. “Do you restructure it in some way? For many reasons. Those are all issues we’ve got to really sit down and talk through.”

The Rams brain trust also will discuss offensive lineman Jonah Jackson’s situation. Last March the Rams gave the free-agent offensive lineman a contract that included $34 million in guarantees. Jackson suffered a shoulder injury early in training camp, however, was placed on injured reserve after the second game and did not reestablish himself as a starter.

Jackson is scheduled to earn $9 million in each of the next two seasons, but none of the salary is guaranteed, according to Overthecap.com.

Snead noted that despite Jackson’s injuries and the continuity that other linemen established during his absence, Jackson displayed a professional attitude and accepted his role.

“It’s hard to move on from quality offensive linemen,” Snead said.

A possible extension for running back Kyren Williams also is “something that’s going to be on the plate,” Snead said.

The Rams have had success in the last two drafts, finding stars such as receiver Puka Nacua and defensive tackle Kobe Turner in 2023 and edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive lineman Braden Fiske, among others, last year.

The Rams have the 26th pick in this draft. They do not have a second-round pick.

“Twenty-six is an interesting place to be,” Snead said. “Do you move up? Do you move back? Do you stay and pick?

“”That one’s a hard one to try and guess.”