In the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams signed quarterback Matthew Stafford to a four-year, $160 million contract that included a $60 million signing bonus. It’s the second signing bonus of at least $50 million that Stafford has received in the last five years and a clear indication that the Rams felt on March 19th that they were locking down the same quarterback who threw for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns, and won a total of 16 games for them last season, including the Super Bowl.
Compare that contract to Derek Carr’s deal: He received the same average salary per year, but less than half as much is guaranteed and technically if the Raiders wanted to cut Carr in 2023 they could have a realistic option to do so.