The Los Angeles Rams have given Matthew Stafford and his agent permission to talk to other teams in order to gauge his market value, according to a February 22nd report from the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. This will allow Stafford to understand what he is worth, Rapoport added.
“This is not a trade request. It sounds like a trade request, but it’s not actually a trade request,” Rapoport said in a February 23rd video shared on YouTube. “Basically what this does is allows Sexton of CAA to talk to other teams and gauge the value for Matthew Stafford… What the Rams want to do is work toward a new contract with Stafford. They want Stafford to be their quarterback.”
Stafford has a potential out in his contract for this coming season. He is scheduled to make about $49.7 million in 2025 if he is retained by Los Angeles. However, the Rams can save $27 million by trading him after June 1st or $23 million by cutting him after June 1st. Regardless, either decision will “incur a sizable amount of dead money” for LA in 2025 and 2026.
In January, Stafford said that he plans on playing this coming season.
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What should the Rams do?
The Los Angeles Rams have been in the playoff picture every year that Matthew Stafford has been their quarterback. I don’t expect the Rams to be competitive without Matthew Stafford as their QB unless they trade for an elite signal-caller.
Yes, $49.7 million is a lot of money to pay a 37-year-old quarterback. But if he is the guy that gives you the best chance to win a Super Bowl, then pay the man!
Rams fans DO NOT want to see their team move on from a Super Bowl-winning QB to save some money. Starting a cheaper quarterback is pointless if he can’t help you win a Super Bowl, and I don’t know if there are a lot of free-agent QBs that give LA as good of a chance to compete as Stafford does.
Echoing reporting from @TomPelissero: The #Rams have given permission for Matthew Stafford’s agent to speak with other teams about his value. This is not a trade request.
Instead, the Rams and Stafford can gain a better understanding of his value outside the team, potentially… pic.twitter.com/ouYiIQtcr9
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 22, 2025
Aaron Rodgers is the only guy in this free-agent quarterback class who could come in and have as much success as Stafford. However, Rodgers is four years older than Matthew Stafford and also comes with a lot of extra baggage that you don’t get with Stafford.
I don’t even know why this is a conversation. Ever since coming to LA, Matthew Stafford has done everything the Rams have asked of him and more. They won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team, and he has led Los Angeles to back-to-back playoff appearances.
I really don’t think Matthew Stafford will be playing for another team next season. I would be shocked if that ended up being the case.
What teams could trade for Stafford?
Even though Ian Rapoport said that this isn’t a trade request, it sure as hell sounds like one. While it seems unlikely, the Rams could trade Stafford if the two sides are unable to find some common ground on a new contract. The trade package would need to be very enticing, and the team that lands Stafford would need to be able to pay him maybe $55 million annually. There are only a few franchises that can make that happen this off-season.
It would make a ton of sense for the Las Vegas Raiders to trade for Stafford. They have the second-most available cap space right now ($92.7 million), so they could easily afford him. They would likely have to give up the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft plus some future considerations, but that would definitely be a worthwhile trade for the Raiders. After all, new head coach Pete Carroll turns 74 this Fall, so I don’t imagine he wants to spend too many years trying to develop a young QB.
With $50.7 million in projected cap space, the Pittsburgh Steelers have just enough money to acquire Stafford. However, if they want to surround him with weapons on the offensive side of the ball, there will have to be some cap casualties. The Steelers will also have to put together a very attractive trade offer for Stafford which could include multiple first-round picks as well as some other late-round selections.
The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and other teams have all shown interest in trading for Rams QB Matthew Stafford, should LA look to move him, per @AlbertBreer pic.twitter.com/68MSNdRU5B
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 24, 2025
The New York Giants are another team that could make the acquisition happen, but it doesn’t sound like they want to part ways with their best trade asset: the number three overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said a couple of weeks ago that the pick “is not in the conversation if Matthew Stafford and the Rams can’t get a deal worked out.” With that selection not on the table, I don’t see how the Giants can trade for Stafford even if they wanted him.
The Minnesota Vikings have the cap space to make the trade happen, but I think they’re the least likely team on this list to pull the trigger for Stafford. With 22-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings, Stafford would probably only be in Minnesota for a year or two as a bridge QB.
I must repeat that I do not think Matthew Stafford will be playing football elsewhere in 2025. However, all of these teams could be good potential trade destinations if I end up being wrong.
