One of the more intriguing storylines of the NFL offseason is what the Los Angeles Rams end up doing with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old QB has made it known he wants to continue playing for a few more years, and with just two more years on his four-year, $160 million deal he signed with the Rams, but the team doesn’t seem compelled to give him any sort of long-term extension. Along with Stafford’s contract demands, the Rams are said to be upset with the drama surrounding the Pro Bowl QB off the field, more specifically with his wife Kelly, who recently put the team on blast on her “Morning After” podcast for making it known it wants to trade away star receiver Cooper Kupp. “My husband wants to win,” Kelly said. “He’s not trying to put a team in a bad situation. I will say the trading away of Cooper, I’m confused… because we were one play away from going to the NFC Championship, and I think if we go, we win.” Because Kelly has been so outspoken about the Rams and how they conduct business, FS1’s Colin Cowherd suggested the team is entertaining the idea of trading Stafford to not have to deal with his wife’s opinionated musings anymore. “The Rams like Matt Stafford but they’re tiring of the constant quarterback talk, his wife saying things publicly, they’re not real happy with Cooper Kupp going public with something they tried to keep quiet,” Cowherd said. “They’re kind of over Cooper Kupp and with that a little bit Matt Stafford. They like him, but they don’t want to restructure his deal and give him a big contract.”
Stafford is coming off a solid, but not great season in 2024. He threw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 16 games and nearly led the Rams to the NFC Championship game. The former No. 1 overall pick didn’t have his full complement of weapons healthy all at once – Kupp missed five games and star second-year WR Puka Nacua missed six – which led to a drop in Stafford’s production. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans have all been linked to Stafford recently, but if the Super Bowl winner is traded, the New York Giants appear to be the favorites to land him.
