The Los Angeles Rams have left the door open for Matthew Stafford to be traded. And if he is, they would need another QB to replace Stafford and keep them as competitive as they were in 2024. Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold could be that option for the Rams.
Stafford, 37, is heading into Year 3 of a four-year, $160 million contract. Darnold, 27, could be heading for a similar deal in free agency, and the two QBs have driven discussions this offseason.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz believes the Rams should make the Darnold-Stafford swap.
“Stafford has still got it,” Schatz wrote on February 21. “He’s also 37 years old with a gigantic salary cap number of nearly $50 million in 2025. There has been a lot of scuttlebutt from the NFL rumor mill about the Rams moving on from him. It fits the old adage that it is better to move on from a player a year too early than a year too late. If they do it, they’ll want to make it a post-June 1 trade in order to spread the cap cost across two seasons. And they should bring in Darnold as a replacement.”
“Darnold ranked 14th in QBR last season,” Schatz wrote. “We know from his play in Minnesota under Kevin O’Connell that he can thrive in a Sean McVay-influenced offensive scheme. So why not bring him into a system run by the actual Sean McVay?”
Darnold had 4,319 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on 66.2% completion in 2024.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2018, Darnold set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage in 2024.
Rams Grant Matthew Stafford Permission to Speak With Other Teams
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams sits on the bench against the Arizona Cardinals.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Rams granted Stafford’s representatives permission to speak with other teams. However, the goal is to find out what those potential suitors might offer the two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion on a new contract.
Pelissero also reported the Rams had not progressed to the point of discussing trade packages for Stafford.
Still, the reporting fit into what Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio called a “weird vibe” around LA.
“The Rams have a mess. They could kick the cap can by extending his contract, but he’s 37. At what point will the Rams (who are young at most positions) pivot to someone more than a decade younger than Stafford?” Florio wrote on February 17. “For now, it’s just a weird vibe.
“With several teams looking for quarterbacks — Jets, Steelers, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Giants, Saints (maybe) — the Rams likely remain open for business.”
Rams Left Door Open for Matthew Stafford Trade
GettyLos Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead at Rams training facility.
According to Over The Cap, the Rams can save $12.9 million by restructuring Stafford’s contract. They can save $20.9 million by extending the Super Bowl champion passer. But Rams general manager Les Snead made a telling admission.
“I think Matthew probably disturbed our rejuvenation period. Because I think we did play in the Divisional Round that year. And then maybe a week later is when it leaked that, ‘Hey, he would like to be traded,’ and the Lions were thinking of trading him. So we had to get back to work a little bit quicker than we wanted to,” Snead told reporters in January.
“On trades …, that’s one thing too. It’ll take someone calling or us reaching out if we want to do – that’s the things that’ll be determined down the road here.”
Stafford is due a $4 million roster bonus in March, a potential deadline for a Rams trade.
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