Every day that passes begins to feel more likely that Matthew Stafford has played his last game as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
It seems like a crazy scenario considering that the Rams were one play away from the NFC Championship Game and now they could be moving forward into the 2025 season without both Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford.
Now, there is still a chance that both sides can agree on a new deal, but just reading between the tea leaves, it is feeling less likely.
The biggest question in this whole situation is do the Rams feel that they can find a better option than Stafford and still compete for a Super Bowl. A better option that is cheaper, of course.
The hot name out there right now is Aaron Rodgers. I have stated repeatedly on the Rams LAFB Show, that IF they moved on from Stafford, I would be all for getting Sam Darnold.
ESPN NFL Insider, Aaron Schatz seems to have the same sentiment. In his latest piece, he is predicting that the Rams will trade Matthew Stafford and bring in Sam Darnold.
Insider Predicts Rams To Trade Matthew Stafford, Add Sam Darnold
If the Rams do move Stafford, a lot of this will depend on what Minnesota does with Darnold. There is speculation that they will Tag him so that they can trade him for assets instead of letting him walk away for nothing.
Would the Rams be interested in trading one quarterback while having to trade for another?
Per Schatz:
“He (Stafford) ranked sixth in QBR two years ago and 12th last season. He’s also 37 years old with a gigantic salary cap number of nearly $50 million in 2025. There has been a lot of scuttlebutt from the NFL rumor mill about the Rams moving on from him. It fits the old adage that it is better to move on from a player a year too early than a year too late. If they do it, they’ll want to make it a post-June 1 trade in order to spread the cap cost across two seasons.”
Not much context here outside of what we already know and have been hearing.
On adding Darnold:
“Darnold ranked 14th in QBR last season. We know from his play in Minnesota under Kevin O’Connell that he can thrive in a Sean McVay-influenced offensive scheme. So why not bring him into a system run by the actual Sean McVay?”
I’ve always liked the idea of adding Darnold because the upside is much higher than the other QBs available. He is still only 27 years old, and based on what we saw last year, he can play at a high level in the right system with the right weapons.
Why not bring the former USC Trojans legend home? Again, the Vikings will play a huge role in this. If they do not tag him, Darnold instantly becomes one of the top free agents on the market. Will a bidding war proceed?
It might actually go in the Rams favor if Minnesota tags him, and then they can deal directly with the Vikings org and get a deal done for some late-round picks.
Still, the hope for everyone is that Matthew Stafford remains with LA and retires a Ram.
