NFL Trade Rumors
The biggest storyline in the early weeks of the NFL offseason has been the Rams’ saga with incumbent starting QB Matthew Stafford. Acquired in a trade with the Lions in 2021, Stafford won the 2022 Super Bowl in his first season with the team and has been a key piece enabling their run to the playoffs in the past two years. Still, his future in Los Angeles is uncertain, to say the least.
Rams HC Sean McVay has been effusive with his praise for Stafford over the years, but actions speak louder than words and the Rams’ hesitancy to commit major money to Stafford speaks volumes. Negotiations stretched all the way into camp last year before a compromise, and they’ve resumed in recent weeks. If they can’t find a number both sides are happy with, there is a real possibility that the Rams will move on from their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
What would it look like if they did? How would the Rams replace Stafford under center? Let’s dive in:
Although Stafford remains under contract through 2026, the reality is more complicated than that. Per Over The Cap, Stafford has a $4 million roster bonus due March 19, the only guaranteed money left on his deal, and a $23 million base salary. In 2026, he’s owed a $5 million roster bonus in March and a $26 million base salary, for a total of two years and $58 million remaining. With the top of the market at $60 million annually, it’s safe to say Stafford is underpaid.
While Stafford probably isn’t looking to reset the market, finding a middle ground the Rams are comfortable with could be challenging. From Stafford’s perspective, he’s still playing well even in the twilight of his career at 37, and the Rams represent his best chance to compete for another Super Bowl as his career comes to a close. From the Rams’ perspective, Stafford is the best quarterback they could reasonably expect to obtain this offseason. Although they are a young team, they’re coming off back-to-back playoff appearances and capable of competing now.
Still, even a deal at $40 million per year would eat up a lot of cash, and the Rams have a strong core of young players who will be due for contract extensions in the coming seasons. Paying Stafford a significant chunk of their cap doesn’t line up with the prime of the rest of this roster. Forward-thinking executives within the organization seem hesitant to make that commitment, which is why the possibility of a trade is alive.
Trading Stafford would leave behind a dead money charge of $45 million with $4 million in savings from his current figure. Cutting him would be $49 million in dead money due to the guaranteed roster bonus but the Rams should have enough of a trade market for Stafford to where a release isn’t necessary, even factoring Stafford’s preferences into a deal. A trade also would net the Rams back assets that could...
