NFL experts stun reeling Rams fans by suggesting Stafford could be traded

NFL experts suggest the Rams will trade Matthew Stafford.

It's time to be brutally honest with ourselves. The only way for the Los Angeles Rams to have a competitive offer for then-backup quarterback Baker Mayfield was to dangle the likelihood of starting for the Rams as part of their commitment to him for the 2023 NFL season. That did not happen, nor was there ever a chance of happening. The Rams were still committed to Pro Bowl QB Matthew Stafford in 2023.

Then, in 2024, the floor dropped out.

The Rams rested starters in Week 18. Rather than settle any quarterback controversy for the Rams roster, the Week 18 performance by backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo splashed both hope and pessimism among Rams fans. After all, Garoppolo got more out of the Rams' backup receivers than the team had gotten from starting QB Matthew Stafford and the starting receivers all season.

Just to be clear: Matthew Stafford averaged 235 passing yards, 1.25 TDs, and 0.5 INTs in 16 games in 2024. Jimmy Garoppolo averaged 334 passing yards, 2.0 TDs, and 1.0 INTs in one game in 2024. Stafford truly elevated his game in the 2025 NFL Playoffs, just like he had throughout the 2024 NFL season. But the question remains - How long can Stafford continue to play at an elite level?

So when I share the following news from NFL Insider Albert Breer, denial is almost certainly the response from some Rams fans.

In the course of his discussion, NFL Insider Breer explains that mums the word among NFL GMs over the chance that Matthew Stafford could be had for the right price. If you want to talk about NFL salaries, the very reason Stafford might be traded is the fact that he has no guaranteed salary for this season.

Did the Rams emerge from Stafford contract negotiations in 2024 both strained and frustrated by the intensity of getting Stafford's performing last season guaranteed? Whatever else fans may conclude about 2024, one thing is clear. Both the team and Stafford did not hammer out the terms of a contract that satisfied both the team and the player over the life of the contract.

2024 was resolved. 2025 was left in the 'To Be Determined,' category. Now, the challenge for Stafford and the team is to decide what the true value of Stafford is to the Rams, or any other NFL team, this season.