We’ve seen some interesting developments in the past couple of months concerning the future of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. Today’s newest update comes from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network who tells us that the team has given Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams about his value. Rapoport makes it clear that this is not a trade request, just an external appraisal. 
Following the end of the Rams’ 2024 campaign, Stafford began to contemplate his future in the league, potentially weighing the possibility of retirement before ultimately making the decision to play in 2025, after some pressure for clarity from the team. As the team was waiting for that clarity, though, the Rams made it known that they were considering trading the veteran quarterback. This rumor led to interest from several teams who began to contact Los Angeles with interest in Stafford.
With today’s update, we see that the Rams have been hearing these offers and are hoping to use them to assist in their contract negotiations. Our previous most recent update hinted that the 37-year-old was seeking a raise on his next deal. This new tactic from the Rams could be seen as an attempt to let the rest of the league do their work for them. This would be similar to what the Ravens attempted last year, when they placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, and most teams expected them to match any offer sheet after letting other teams determine Jackson’s worth.
This is a less official version of this. This is closer to the MLB’s arbitration process, in which the team and player can’t come to an agreement on a player’s value, so they use a third-party arbiter to make the determination for them. As the Rams and Stafford struggle to find level ground in contract discussions, the hope is that outside teams will participate and give their two cents on what Stafford’s next contract should look like.
More likely, teams, if they don’t really believe they have a chance to land Stafford in a trade, could try to inflate the cost of a Stafford deal in order to handicap the Rams as much as possible. This possibility is underlined by a report from Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo, who tells us that these other teams don’t believe this means the Rams and Stafford are headed for a split and that trade compensation will remain a hurdle to them actually acquiring the passer.
Another hurdle to acquiring Stafford via trade is the $45.3MM in dead money trading Stafford’s contract would cost the Rams, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com. Still, Fitzgerald believes that the Rams would be willing to deal Stafford for a return they deem worthy, but if that adequate trade offer doesn’t come, they would work with the veteran on a modified contract.