ESPN NFL Insiders share "Stafford likely to return," but add a new twist

The LA Rams may not be competing in Super Bowl LIX, but that does not mean the team cannot headline the national sports media this week. With just one game to go before the Philadelphia Eagles or Kansas City Chiefs hoist the Lombardi Trophy, NFL Insiders are already jockeying for position over the Rams' state and the future of starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.

It's the offseason in just two days, which means that real NFL news will evaporate, and all that is left to discuss is speculation, innuendos, and NFL rumors. But after putting veteran WR Cooper Kupp on the trading block long before Super Bowl LIX is played, it's the Rams' own fault that they have become the hottest subject of the latest wave of NFL rumors.

Even typically plugged-in GMFB host Peter Schrager has been sucked into the NFL rumor mill, declaring that there is a chance that Stafford wears another uniform in 2025. So it's not just blind speculation, there are some whispers that the Rams and Stafford may not see eye-to-eye in contract negotiations.

Why there there this more to this story

There are always two sides to every story. Well, at least two sides. One of the greatest challenges about vetting NFL rumors involving the LA Rams is the insistence from the team that those matters stay in house. Even such benign matters as which rookie prospects meet with the team are seldom shared. Rather, they are announced by the players themselves, or by NFL Draft analysts who witness members of the Rams entourage talking with players directly.

The Rams love to keep matters in house for logical reasons. Emotions tend to flare up in the public forum. Right now, the team understands that finding the narrow common ground between paying for another season or two from a 37-year-old veteran QB while ensuring the financial security of his family is a tough task. That taske becomes even more difficult if it enters the public forum.

The crux of the Rams and Matthew Stafford is not an expired contract. The Rams have Stafford under contract through 2026. The matter is renegotiating that contract, because there is almost no guaranteed compensation remaining in either 2025 or 2026 to ensure Stafford gets paid. But as is the case with any and all renegotiations, the discussions can expand to include incentive clauses, increased compensation, void years, signing bonuses, and a bevy of other NFL contract terms.

(3) - Rams haven't addressed emerging stories yet, and likely never will

When the LA Rams traded veteran ILB Ernest Jones IV just before the start of the 2024 NFL season, there was little explanation from the team. I suspect if you revisit the storyline now, you will catch the buzzwords like 'best for the team,' and 'business decision,' but little in the way of logical reasoning. It's a year after the fact.

That is not to say that the Rams do not have sound reasons for doing so. They simply maintain a policy of not sharing those reasons. After all, nobody can argue why their reasons are wrong if they do not know the specific reasons for doing so.

The Rams traded DB Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, RB Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings, and DT Michael Brockers to the Detroit Lions. The team did not offer much in the way of reasons for doing so. And at the time he was traded, Brockers was a teammate and likely the closest friend on the Rams roster to All-Pro DT Aaron Donald. So yes, the team has been down this road before.

(2) - So far, it's immediate reactions from players, and players wives

When it came to Rams rumors about Cooper Kupp's immediate trade, that news was reported by Cooper Kupp himself. When it came to the Rams rumors about the possibility of the Rams trading Matthew Stafford if contract renegotiations go awry, that narrative sprang from a recent podcast that found Kelly Stafford venting about her husband's uncertainty as the long-term starting quarterback.

Then there is simply the common sense conclusion that trading away the starting quarterback's star wide receiver and closest friend on the team is going to get less than a positive reaction.

But these narratives all came from instant reactions. That shocking realization that things have suddenly changed, permanently. Just as so many Rams fans have swarmed to social media to demand the instant release of kicker Joshua Karty or the firing of DC Chris Shula after a bad play, so too all of the stories right now began from that type of reaction among players. Does it rule out the possibility? Not at all. It's simply the contextual background that we need to qualify these stories.

(1) - Rams acting quickly to squelch story

While you won't get direct quotes from LA Rams coaches and personnel executives about either Cooper Kupp or Matthew Stafford, that is not to say that the Rams won't let word slip out to NFL Insiders to try to get ahead of this storyline.

And so, ESPN Insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler combined on an update about the Rams rumors over Matthew Stafford. First up is Graziano, who reassures all that Stafford is 'likely to return,' to the Rams for the 2025 NFL season:

"Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is likely to return to L.A. in 2025, according to sources close to the situation. The past two seasons have been good for Stafford, who turned 37 on Friday and believes the Rams leadership gives them the ability to contend every year."

ESPN Insider Dan Graziano

Of course, with contract negotiations to be held in the future, nothing is certain. So the ESPN tandem qualifies their optimism over Stafford returning to the team when Jeremy Fowler chimes in. "Stafford will be the top quarterback available if Los Angeles (Rams) entertains the idea of moving him," is the main counterpoint made.

"By all accounts, Stafford was happy with the direction of the offense this season, and multiple people with the team say it does not seem as if changes are coming. But other teams will inevitably call the Rams to gauge trade interest anyway. Stafford will be the top quarterback available if Los Angeles entertains the idea of moving him."

ESPN Insider Jeremy Fowler

For those fans in passionate denial that the Rams would even consider trading Matthew Stafford right now, you have your beachhead of new data to stand your ground. But keep in mind that even if the team is 99 percent likely to successfully renegotiate a contract that satisfies Stafford, that leaves a 1 percent chance of not doing so.

Either way, the Rams have to address a quarterback succession plan proactively in 2025. The train of tarnished NFL veterans QBs has been a good patchwork plan. But the team has to have a more permanent solution in place. Not just for 2025, but for years to come.

As always, thanks for reading.

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