Close to four years after the trade that shipped him from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford could be headed to another blockbuster deal.
The Rams granted Stafford permission to speak with other teams on a potential trade taking him out of Los Angeles, with the Las Vegas Raiders emerging as a frontrunner for the veteran quarterback. Stafford met with minority owner Tom Brady, a move that generated some controversy and prompted the NFL to speak out this week.
NFL Clears Raiders in Speaking With Matthew Stafford
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Raiders have been active in trying to lure Stafford, with Brady taking a lead role as recruiter.
“The Raiders have emerged as a potential landing spot for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been given permission by the Rams to speak with other teams to gauge his market outside of Los Angeles,” Bonsignore reported.
“Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has been in contact with Stafford’s camp about the possibility of the 37-year-old coming to Las Vegas, according to multiple NFL sources.”
The discussions led to speculation that the Raiders could be tampering with the still-under-contract Stafford, but the league clarified that the quarterback had the team’s explicit permission to speak to other teams.
“There is no issue here,” a league spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The Rams gave the player and his agent permission to speak to the Raiders.”
The Raiders did not openly discuss their interest in Stafford, but general manager John Spytek made it clear that the team was searching for talent.
“I don’t really want to talk about other teams’ players and get in trouble in my first press conference here,” Spytek said. “But I would just say that if there’s an opportunity for any player that we think can add value to the Raiders, we’ll look into it.”
The Raiders struggled at quarterback last season, watching veteran Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell both suffer injuries and suffer inconsistent play on the field. With no clear path forward at quarterback, Stafford was seen as a strong option for a team looking to get back into playoff contention.
Former Lions Rival Could Replace Matthew Stafford
While it is far from certain whether the Rams would trade Stafford, there has already been speculation that a former Lions rival could replace him in Los Angeles next season. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported that Aaron Rodgers would like to make the cross-continental move from New York to Los Angeles once his release from the Jets is official.
“Sources tell the Daily News that Rodgers, 41, prefers to play for the Rams and that the outgoing Jets QB would bring Davante Adams with him once the Jets wide receiver becomes a free agent,” Leonard reported.
“So hypothetically, the Rams could acquire significant assets by trading Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Then they could also add Rodgers and Adams to a Sean McVay offense with No. 1 wide receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams.”
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