The Los Angeles Rams won a Super Bowl through the Matthew Stafford trade. Going all-in can have its shortcomings. But it paid off for this franchise. This team is now caught between some of the old guard sticking around and the newcomers proving to be quality contributors in their own right. It can be difficult to assess. Coach Sean McVay made another regular-season playoff push. And they nearly beat the Eagles in the Divisional Round. Regardless, it may be time to move on, despite the prior success.
Look back at what this LA team gave up. The Matthew Stafford trade mortgaged their future in 2021. They won their ring, but it came at a steep cost, just from this maneuver alone. Giving up two future NFL first-rounders is a lot. But again, the Rams were in a position and willing to pay that price.
The Matthew Stafford trade ended up becoming players like Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta. However, the 37-year-old is at a different point in his career now. While this LA side may elect to move on, potential destinations and the QB’s current value are under discussion.
Notably, Colin Cowherd on FS1’s ‘The Herd’ disclosed how the team appears willing to move off the two-time Pro Bowler. Simply stated, the time has come. The QB and organization shared a championship window together and even brought one Lombardi to the building.
But for the team’s best interest, now is the right time to get some value back and best support the next wave of talent on the roster. And that’s what’s best for Stafford as well. He can still contribute to a winning program. Even in the right situation, he could possibly make a deep postseason push.
Possibilities for a Matthew Stafford trade
This isn’t an indictment for either party. Instead, this could be a potentially more amicable parting from what the NFL has seen for a while. A team would need to be able to give up a significant asset and be positioned to support the former Georgia Bulldog.
This LA side knows that they wouldn’t get anywhere close to a haul like in the original Matthew Stafford trade. But he still has a significant market value. The organization will want matching compensation.
New York could be a potential landing spot. Furthermore, the Giants are in some rumors for him. However, a third overall pick could be too much of an asking price. A place to keep an eye on could be Pittsburgh. The return would likely need to drop, but if the Steelers could pull it off, adding the 16-year vet would provide the exact element that coach Mike Tomlin’s side is missing.
Steel Curtain supporters know how good this team is. But the repeated limiting factor is quarterback play. Adding someone with his level of experience would help twofold. Firstly, the longtime signal caller is someone the locker room could easily believe in and rally around. More importantly, the offense would have the big-time plays and deep ball threat, with someone who does a good job of avoiding the back-killing mistakes.
A lot will be determined this offseason. But a potential Matthew Stafford trade would be one of the bigger single developments in the NFL and needs to be monitored, particularly for QB-needs rosters.