Steelers Now
It doesn’t seem that quarterback Matthew Stafford is likely t0 leave the Los Angeles Rams, despite talk of potential trade and the Pittsburgh Steelers being a potential landing spot.
According to a report by Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Rams are unlikely to move on from Stafford, despite persistent rumors that he could be traded, including his own wife’s podcast appearance this week.
Kelly Stafford: “My husband wants to win. … Trading away a Cooper Kupp? I’m confused because we were one play away from going to the NFC Championship. I have to be the dog in this situation—I want the respect for him that he deserves. I love the city of L.A. With that being said… pic.twitter.com/SJzDB78ww2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 6, 2025
The Rams and Stafford are expected to revisit his contract this season, after a 2024 renegotiation removed almost all guaranteed money from each of the final two seasons in 2025 and 2026.
Graziano reported on Saturday that Stafford is likely to return to Los Angeles in 2025, and that drama surrounding his future could just be posturing for what could be a difficult contract negotiation.
“Matthew Stafford is likely to return to L.A. in 2025, according to sources close to the situation,” wrote Graziano. “The past two seasons have been good for Stafford, who turned 37 on Friday and believes the Rams’ leadership gives them the ability to contend every year.”
It’s unclear how long Stafford wants to keep playing, and how long the Rams will want to continue to pay him top dollar on the quarterback market. He’s scheduled to make $58 million over the next two seasons, but that will be a part of this offseason’s negotiations.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested on Tuesday that the Steelers and New York Giants are teams that will monitor the situation with Stafford, and could be interested if a trade materializes.
The Steelers are expected to move on from starting quarterback Russell Wilson for the 2025 season. They could turn to internal option Justin Fields, but will likely also be looking for external candidates.
Despite his advanced age, Stafford has not slowed down late in his carer. He posted a 93.7 quarterback rating in 2024 — well above his career average of 91.2 — and his adjusted net yards per attempt stood at 6.59, again above his career average of 6.41.
Of course, any talk of trading Stafford brings into question how much of his success has been due to playing in the offensive scheme of Rams head coach Sean McVay versus how much was due to Stafford’s on-field play.
McVay is considered one of the league’s top offensive minds and his coaching tree includes a half dozen current and former NFL head coaches.
