Matthew Stafford has had a very successful tenure with the Los Angeles Rams, highlighted by the Rams’ Super Bowl win in the 2021-2022 NFL season. However, all good things come to an end, and this might be the case for Stafford’s time in the city of Angels. Trade rumors have been swirling since the Rams’ season ended. It has been reported that these four teams are interested in a trade for Matthew Stafford.
Matthew Stafford Gaining Trade Interest From Four Teams
Matthew Stafford is set to make $27 million in the 2025 NFL season. Stafford has made it clear to the Rams that he wants a raise. In return, the Rams have made it clear that they have no intention of giving him one. This has led to a potential standoff between the two sides. If a new agreement can’t be reached, a trade would be a likely outcome. Reports indicate that the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers are all interested in acquiring Stafford via trade.
New York Giants
The New York Giants have a very clear need at quarterback. New York had four different starting quarterbacks last season. This is not a recipe for success. The Giants hold the number three pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, there is a chance that Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, the two most highly-touted quarterback prospects, go numbers one and two overall in the draft. This would leave the Giants with nothing to work with at number three as no other quarterbacks are expected to be first-round picks. Enter Matthew Stafford, who could be a trade candidate for New York regardless of what happens on draft night. Frankly, the Giants would likely be better suited to drafting Ward or Sanders if one is available. Stafford is aging and wants a ton of money while New York is not near contention.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a similar situation to the Giants. They are a rebuilding team in need of a starting quarterback. However, New York has a better pick than Las Vegas in the draft. The Raiders have the sixth pick, making it much more difficult to draft a rookie quarterback. Although Stafford is aging, he makes some sense for Las Vegas. The Raiders have the necessary cap space to attract Stafford even though Las Vegas is not a contender. Pete Carroll was hired as the new head coach and is the oldest coach in the league. Carroll seems determined to win as quickly as possible, hence the Raiders interest in a Matthew Stafford trade.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have a busy offseason ahead of them. First off, superstar defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade. Although it remains to be seen what will happen with Garrett, the Browns have made it clear they do not want to trade him. Second, Cleveland has the second pick in the upcoming draft which could be a franchise-altering selection. The good thing for the Browns is they have some choices with what they want to do at quarterback. If Cleveland is high on both Sanders and Ward, they can ensure that they get one of them with the second pick.
However, if the Browns don’t like one or both of these quarterbacks, a trade for Matthew Stafford could be an excellent move. Stafford would give Cleveland great production at quarterback and likely propel the franchise back to the playoffs. This would also allow the team to potentially draft their favorite non-quarterback prospect. Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are two extremely highly touted prospects that are projected to be top five picks. Hunter plays both wide receiver and defensive back. If available, Cleveland could look to draft either of these prospects, specifically Hunter, as long as they address the quarterback position elsewhere.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers make the most sense of any team on this list. The rest of the roster is ready to compete now, besides the quarterback position. Matthew Stafford is a great trade target for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have the ninth most cap space this offseason, which means they can afford to give Stafford the $50 million he desires. Pittsburgh has a strong defense that has not had an offense to complement it for many years. Stafford would immediately elevate this offense and the Steelers organization back into Super Bowl contention.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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