Steelers Now
In addition to several other teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“The teams you’d suspect would have their hat in the ring have, indeed, thrown their hats in the ring. The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and others have shown interest,” Breer wrote.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network revealed on the Rich Eisen Show on Friday that the Rams have allowed Stafford’s agent to talk to other teams to gauge his market value if a trade does occur.
Stafford and the Rams are expected to re-visit his contract this offseason after a renegotiation in 2024 left him without much in the way of guaranteed salary going forward. That contract hangup has yet to be resolved, and that continues to be the cause of uncertainty surrounding his future with the team, prompting trade rumors from around the NFL.
Breer added that teams got permission from the Rams to talk over two weeks ago, so the process has been well underway.
“I’m not sure how the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford put this whole thing back together, but it’s going to take some work this week. And that, as I see it, is because Los Angeles, at this point, is working with a quarterback who knows what his value is to the other teams,” Breer wrote.
“During the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Stafford’s camp got permission from the Rams to talk to other teams—so his reps have already had two weeks to test the market and see who’d be willing to give up trade compensation and a big, new contract to land the 37-year-old star. It’s only steeled belief that, given the changing conditions of quarterback cost, he should be among the nine signal-callers now on deals averaging over $50 million per year.”
The Rams reportedly would demand a first-round pick in return for a trade for Stafford, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher-Report. That certainly would be a steep price for the Steelers to pay for trading for the 37-year-old signal caller.
According to extensive reporting by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, there is a hesitation by the Rams to pay Stafford an amount of money in 2025 that may hamper the team’s future efforts to lock up its young core.
“If you’re trading for the guy and it’s going to take a significant pick – let’s just say it’s going to be a second-round pick – you’re going to want to know, ‘Am I getting this guy for one year? Two years? Three years?’ And that’s why the Rams have been willing to let Stafford’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, who’s very experienced in these matters, to go out and just figure out, what would other teams be willing to do?” Pelissero said.
“It certainly sounds as if the priority is for Stafford to return to the L.A. Rams, but again, this went all the...
