Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Sam Darnold

Monday, March 3, 5:59 PM

By agreeing to a contract restructure last Friday with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams were able to stay on year-to-year terms with the veteran signal-caller. The adjusted contract will be structured under his existing framework that runs through 2026, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodriguez. No new years were added, so both sides expect to revisit the matter again next offseason. The specific dollar amount of the adjusted contract are unknown, but Stafford surely receives a double-digit raise from the existing $27 million he was scheduled to be paid in 2025. "We're taking it a year at a time," head coach Sean McVay said. Rodrigue also adds that despite keeping Stafford for this year, the Rams will look to the future at the position. For fantasy purposes, although Stafford almost led L.A. to the NFC Championship, he should be considered a midrange QB2.

Thursday, March 13, 7:37 PM

During his introductory press conference on Thursday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold drew praise from head coach Mike Macdonald. Per Nick Shook of NFL.com, Macdonald was "ecstatic" and gushing with praise over his new QB. "First of all, he's just a tremendous human being, a great leader," said the head coach. "We had a lot of people in our building that have the history with Sam...So, I'm really excited to get our relationship started." The history Macdonald refers to regards new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who has ties with Darnold from their time spent together in San Francisco in 2023. "Obviously, you know, working with Klint...I'm very familiar with the scheme," Darnold told reporters. The 27-year-old's familiarity with the offensive system -- a riff on the one he ran in Minnesota -- is what made him so attractive to the team. Despite a late-season meltdown, the USC product was superb in 2024. However, his new team does not sport the same arsenal of weaponry that he deployed with the Vikings. Wide receiver is a glaring need for Seattle, and they'll need to address that position so that Darnold can reach the heights he did a season ago.