The Los Angeles Rams do not appear to be fully committed to Matthew Stafford, as the one-time Super Bowl champion quarterback is reportedly on the trade block. After flirting with retirement rumors early in the offseason, the quarterback said he wants to return to play under head coach Sean McVay. However, that feeling may not be entirely mutual, as NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that multiple teams have reached out to the Rams about a trade, and the team has entertained the calls.
Per Schultz’s report, the “belief” is that the Rams would trade Matthew Stafford if they could get a first-round pick for his services. This is admittedly a high price to pay for a 37-year-old quarterback who is probably playing on a year-to-year basis at this stage in his career, and it shows Los Angeles would prefer to keep him around. However, stranger deals have happened, and these five quarterback-desperate teams could go after Stafford and avoid investing in a weak quarterback draft class.
Rams Willing to Trade Matthew Stafford – 5 Suitors Emerge
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a good roster, but they don’t have a quarterback capable of leading the team on a deep playoff run. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents, and neither quarterback is good enough to overcompensate for a strong but imperfect roster. Matthew Stafford isn’t the player he once was, but the former first-overall pick is better than the present-day version of Wilson and Fields. Perhaps Pittsburgh can address two needs at once by sending their first-round pick to Los Angeles for Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson finished the 2024 season as the Colts starter, but it’s safe to assume the team wants to add some competition in 2025. Head coach Shane Steichen benched the former first-round pick midway through the season but had no choice but to go back to him after Joe Flacco crashed and burned with extended playing time. Matthew Stafford is a reliable starting quarterback with the talent to get this team back to the playoffs for the first time since Philip Rivers donned the white and blue.
New York Giants
The New York Giants find themselves between a rock and a hard place, as they hold the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for them, this is a remarkably weak quarterback class, with Miami’s Cam Ward and maybe Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders as the only players worthy of a top-10 pick. Head coach Brian Daboll needs to start winning to save his job, and a Matthew Stafford trade could ensure he has an adequate option under center in 2025. New York won’t give up the third-overall pick for the 37-year-old, but perhaps a second- and third-round pick could get the job done.
Las Vegas Raiders
Pete Carroll is back on the sidelines, and the 73-year-old head coach is too old to endure the long, arduous process of drafting and developing a quarterback in a weak class. Stafford and Carroll are in similar boats, as both men are towards the end of their respective careers and want to win soon. Armed with over $99 million in cap space, a Matthew Stafford trade and a few big-name free agents could get this team back into Wild Card contention.
New Orleans Saints
This is admittedly a long shot, but stranger things have happened under General Manager Mickey Loomis. The New Orleans Saints are rumored to be moving away from quarterback Derek Carr, but they’ll need someone to start in 2025. Seeing as Los Angeles would also need a quarterback if they trade Matthew Stafford, perhaps the two teams could agree to swap quarterbacks for the upcoming season.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher – Imagn Images
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