Report: Rams give Matthew Stafford permission to seek a trade

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the bold move by LA on Friday

In a major turn of events, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Los Angeles Rams have now given QB Matthew Stafford permission to seek a trade. While it doesn’t confirm the veteran quarterback will be moved this offseason, it’s by far the most definitive stance LA has taken on the situation and shows they are genuinely willing to move on from their Super Bowl winning captain.

Earlier in the week it was reported by Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz that several teams have reached out to Los Angeles and belief is that a first-round pick is the Rams current asking price for Stafford. However, Schultz also reported that a reunion between the two sides was still the most likely outcome, now that seems to be more questionable.

This price tag is on point with the rumors that LA was asking for the New York Giants third overall pick in exchange by Stafford last week. This idea was initially floated out by Fox Sports Colin Cowherd on his show The Herd when he said:

“What the Rams want, I am told, they want the Giants’ first-round pick at No. 3,” he said. “So they probably want a first, a second, a first, a third, but you’ve got to pay Stafford if you’re the Giants. You have to give him a new deal. They’ll probably get a first and a fourth, but let’s just talk about that No. 3 pick. The Rams want that No. 3 pick in the draft because they’re drafting way later. They want to take that pick, move down, and get more picks. Why? So they have extra picks next year when they have to move up to get a quarterback.”

There have been many scenarios floated around about the potential replacement options for LA should they move on from Stafford. The biggest name to be linked to the Rams so far has been New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, who will be a free agent this offseason. Adam Schefter of ESPN mentioned Rodgers when discussing the Rams’ situation on his podcast Tuesday, saying he believes Rodgers would love to play for Los Angeles.

“If the Rams couldn’t get a deal done with Stafford, if they decide to trade him – a lot of ifs involved – then Aaron Rodgers, in my mind, would be thrilled with the idea of going to Los Angeles,” Said Schefter.

Another option for the Rams is last year’s backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who played well in the team’s final game of the season vs. Seattle but is also a free agent and would need to be resigned. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, McVay “really likes” Garoppolo due to the veteran passer’s “amiability, work ethic and understanding of the offense” and said that if Los Angeles turned to Garoppolo, he’d be viewed as a “bridge” to the team’s next franchise quarterback.

While there is always the possibility that the two sides find a way to reconcile and come to an agreement, one has to wonder if all the trade talks and tough contract negotiations dating back to last offseason have ruined the relationship between Stafford and the Rams going forward. In addition to the contract issues, the team deciding to move on from Stafford’s closest friend on the team WR Cooper Kupp has also not sat right with the quarterback or his wife Kelly, who sounded off about the move on her podcast recently.

“I will say the trading away of Cooper, I guess I’m just a little, I’m confused. Because we were one play away from going to the NFC Championship, and I think if we go, we win.” she continued later on the podcast “Right now, if the Rams decided that they wanted to trade him, or Matthew decided he didn’t want to play for the Rams, I’m good. I would move my family. Yeah, that might be tough. First month, hard. After that, turns out, I like my kids to learn how to be resilient.”

Stafford comes into 2025 as a cap hit of about $49 million dollars for Los Angeles. The quarterback currently does not have any real guaranteed money for the final two years of his contract after it was all moved up in 2024 as a resolution to last summer’s contract dispute, which seems to be the issue for Stafford. He is looking for more of a commitment, but the Rams are not interested in locking into anything long-term with the 37-year-old QB.

Still, looking at the situation half glass full, it’s possible that Los Angeles hopes to use this tactic as a way to gauge what exactly Stafford’s value is. If he was able to work an extension with another club, what exactly would that number be and would it be one that LA would be willing to meet at?

The overwhelming feeling thus far has been that Los Angeles and Stafford may be arguing about a contract extension but inevitably would figure it all out before the start of the season. Unfortunately that has not been the case thus far, and while the feeling is that the Rams do still want Stafford back, with each passing day it seems the two sides continue to grow further apart. Los Angeles was 14 yards away from going to the NFC Championship, but now it seems there’s a real chance their entire offense, and core leadership of the team, could look completely different for 2025.