The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams rivalry may not be the most historic in the NFL, but it has been one of the best in the last decade. Two teams are naturally tethered by being division opponents. However, since Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan joined their respective teams, the rivalry has shifted from casual Sunday viewing to must-watch television.
Shanahan and McVay have a history of their own, dating back to 2014 when both coached in Washington. Yet, it is their duels as head coaches that will be immortalized in NFL history. The 49ers, under Shanahan, own the regular season head-to-head with a 10-6 record. Unfortunately, the Rams have the lone playoff victory between the two.
The NFC Championship loss hurt the 49ers, but it is who the Los Angeles’ signal-caller was that pours salt into the wound.
In the 2021 offseason, the 49ers and Rams both entered the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes. Despite San Francisco being the first to learn about his availability, the Rams ultimately won the bidding war. Los Angeles sent multiple first-round picks and Jared Goff to Detroit, a price the 49ers could not match.
With San Francisco left empty-handed, they turned back to starter Jimmy Garoppolo and traded up to draft Trey Lance. Fast forward to the Super Bowl, and the Rams are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Leaving SoFi Stadium defeated, the 49ers saw their rival accomplishing what they have now failed to do twice, with the quarterback they unsuccessfully tried to acquire.
Jump to 2025, and Stafford is still causing the 49ers problems — even if it seemed like the terror was nearing an end.
Matthew Stafford Returning in 2025
Stafford, initially coy about a his future following the 2024 season, told reporters he would take some time to decide if he would return in 2025. However, it quickly became clear Stafford was gearing up for another run. Although who he would be suiting up for was uncertain.
The Rams gave Stafford permission to find a trade partner, while tied to work on a deal in the meantime. The decision led to Stafford and Las Vegas Raiders’ minority owner Tom Brady having a meeting at a ski lodge in Montana, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schutlz.
While there are conflicting reports regarding the motivation behind the meeting, Brady’s intentions were to lure Stafford away from Los Angeles. According to The Athletic, The Raiders were willing to offer Stafford between $90 to $100 million over the course of a two-year contract.
However, trade talks were shelved and Stafford is now returning to the Los Angeles Rams on a restructured contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Impact on the San Francisco 49ers
The news is heartbreaking for the 49ers. Just when it seemed like they could finally rid themselves of Matthew Stafford, he rears his head again.
While he is not the quarterback once was, Stafford still poses a viable threat.
He finished with 3,762 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions through 16 regular-season games. However, Stafford was marvelous in the postseason. In a wild-card win over the Minnesota Vikings, he threw for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and zero picks. He followed that up by throwing for 324 yards, two more TDs, and, once again, no interceptions in Los Angeles’ loss to the Eagles.
His play indicates he’s got plenty left in the tank — an unfortunate result for the San Francisco 49ers.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 49ers Receive Bad News Following Rams’ Matthew Stafford Announcement appeared first on Heavy Sports.