The Los Angeles Rams have to hope they did not overplay their hand when it comes to Cooper Kupp and, even more, Matthew Stafford as trade speculation resumes.
Rams general manager left the door open for both players to be in different uniforms next season, and Kupp announced the team informed him he would be traded. News of that decision has spread, and speculation has already begun.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is among those stirring the pot.
Nabers shared two posts featuring sheep/ram emojis. One had “9” and the other included “10.” Those are Stafford and Kupp’s respective jersey numbers. Nabers hinted that it was a pitch.
Nabers’ posts certainly garnered attention, albeit from fans and not the Giants. At least not yet.
“What does Malik Nabers know about the futures of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp? Probably nothing, but he sure is making it seem like he knows something about the Los Angeles Rams’ two stars,” The Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva wrote on February 5.
“Nabers’ last two posts on X (formerly Twitter) are cryptic and seem at least semi-related to the Rams.”
This all comes as Kelly Stafford appeared to put the Rams on notice amid the trade chatter.
Kelly Stafford Rips Rams’ Plans for Cooper Kupp
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a touchdown with Cooper Kupp #10 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Stafford’s wife was clear that the decision to play in 2025 was her husband’s alone. But she weighed in on the Rams’ decision to trade Kupp and even suggested it could cost them their Pro Bowl QB.
“This is tough,” Kelly Stafford said on “The Morning After” podcast on February 6. “Matthew, you guys know this, like a true professional, always falls on the sword for his team. Leader, beyond – he’s a coach in that building. He’s helping everyone do everything, and he’s just like one of those guys that you root for because he does everything right. He’s never going to be in the media for saying something wrong. His wife is all the time, but he will not do it.
“And I love the life that we have built here, yes. With that being said, I love an adventure. I am all for it. And in this, in today, right now, if the Rams decided that they wanted to trade him or Matthew decided he didn’t want to play for the Rams, I’m good. I would listen, move my family. Yeah, that might be tough. First month, hard? Okay. After that, turns out, I like my kids to learn how to be resilient. And moving them is not easy, and they will – it’ll be hard. But I also have four girls who have four built-in best friends, so it ain’t that difficult.”
The Monday Morning Quarterback’s Albert Breer suggested on “The Dan Patrick Show” on February 4 that Kupp and Stafford could come as a package deal in the right situation. Breer did not say that he believed the Rams were ready to trade Stafford at this point.
Matthew Stafford said he is not focused on the parts of his journey he cannot control.
He is still under contract for two more seasons. There is no more guaranteed money on the deal following a restructure in 2024.
“The biggest thing is taking care of the things that I can take care of,” Stafford told The Sports Daily’s DJ Saddiqi in an interview published on February 5. “There’s going to be turnover. There’s going to be new teammates, new players, new coaches on the coaching staff. And different scenarios can arise at any given moment in the NFL.
“I just try to prepare myself to be the best version of myself and let the chips fall where they may.”
Rams GM Leaves Door Open for Matthew Stafford Trade Calls
GettyLos Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead at Rams training facility.
The idea that Stafford could be available has drawn calls for teams in need to reach out to the Rams.
Stafford can thank Rams general manager Les Snead for leaving the door open for a trade.
The GM noted that Stafford was still under contract. But Snead also said Stafford “disturbed” their previous attempts at a roster “rejuvenation.” The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Detroit Lions in 2021.
“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.”
It would be an ironic twist for Stafford’s Rams tenure to also end in a trade.
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