The Los Angeles Rams are making a mistake. It’s as simple as that when it comes to how they’re handling Matthew Stafford.
And based on the latest report by the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that says the Rams have granted Stafford and his agent permission to talk to other teams, it appears as if both sides could be headed for a divorce.
If the Rams do end up trading Stafford, it’s fair to ask why. Is it simply about not wanting to pay him market value at this point in his career? Because that’s what many are speculating.
Stafford, 37, is set to make $27 million in 2025. And while that sounds like an astronomical number, it’s outside the top 15 salaries for quarterbacks. He’s also still playing at a high enough level to allow the Rams to contend.
In 2024, Stafford completed 65.8% of his passes while throwing for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. And most importantly, he led Los Angeles to a 10-7 record and an NFC West division title.
Even though the Rams did not advance in the playoffs, they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles and Stafford had one of his best performances of the entire season. Stafford threw for 324 yards with two touchdowns and zero picks.
Aside from an injury-plagued 2023 season, all Stafford has done since arriving in Los Angeles is play well. However, it’s fair to say his best years are behind him.
Stafford may not be able to put up the monster number he posted in Detroit or even during his first year with the Rams, a season he capped off with a Super Bowl title, but he’s shown he’s still at a level that can lead to team success, especially compared to the rest of the division.
To be fair, it’s possible the Rams are either hoping Stafford would discover his value isn’t what he thinks it is elsewhere and then crawl back to Los Angeles. But if that’s the case, they are playing with fire and irritating someone close to the future Hall of Famer.
Matthew has yet to comment on the situation himself, but his wife, Kelly, has not shied away from letting her feelings be known.
“I love the city of LA… and I love the life that we have built here,” Kelly said on her “Morning After” podcast. “With that being said, I love an adventure. I am all for it. 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 am good.”
It’s also possible they would rather cut bait now than wait for him to eventually endure a drastic decline.
But at the same time, this tactic doesn’t feel as if winning is a priority anymore. With Stafford, the Rams were competitive all season and put up a fight against Philadelphia in the playoffs. The odds of Los Angeles contending without him in 2025 are slim.
Asking Stafford to restructure his deal and provide the franchise more cap flexibility is one thing — that could be done in a way that pays him more upfront and offers relief overall. But to actually trade him (and Cooper Kupp) would close their window to win for years.
And for the Aaron Rodgers to L.A. rumors, swapping out one aging quarterback for an even older one with a recent injury history and coming off a worse season isn’t the answer either.
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