Concerning Matthew Stafford rumors starting to pick up steam this offseason

Two seasons removed from a Super Bowl win, Matthew Stafford and the L.A. Rams might be facing a harsh reality.

While Stafford and the team have internally discussed reworking his contract in order to give him more guaranteed money, it should also be noted that L.A. could wind up parting ways with the veteran after the 2024 campaign.

Although Stafford was able to stay relatively healthy for 2023, his body has shown signs of catching up to him over the last few years. And, if the 2024 season revealed any additional evidence in regards to Stafford's potentially-dwindling health, a parting of ways might just make sense.

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon posted a piece recently that listed several of the league's well-known quarterbacks whom could find themselves switching teams sooner rather than later. Early on, Gagnon mentioned Stafford as a guy who could be part of this conversation:

"With that in mind, it's easy to envision Stafford lobbying his way out or the Rams pushing him out, particularly if L.A. comes back to earth a year removed from a five-win campaign.

Per Spotrac, the franchise can save $22 million against the 2025 salary cap by designating the two-time Pro Bowler as a post-June 1 cut.

If the Rams parted ways with Matthew Stafford, their current backup plan doesn't bode well for the franchise

Let's say that, despite head coach Sean McVay's perceived willingness to die for his starting quarterback, the team does indeed cut ties with Stafford in 2025. First of all, let's establish the fact that 2024 would have to go very wrong in order for that to happen.

But, if it does, then the Rams are officially in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, because Stetson Bennett doesn't appear to be that guy. He could prove many people wrong, but at the moment, Bennett doesn't scream "franchise quarterback."

Assuming the Rams and Stafford figure out a way to restructure his contract, giving him added guaranteed money, we won't have to worry about an immediate future without him in Los Angeles.

But, if the Rams need a replacement in 2025, they could look at one of the top prospects in the draft such as Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Georgia's Carson Beck or Texas' Quinn Ewers.

There's always a chance that Dak Prescott or Tua Tagovailoa don't get new deals and enter free agency next year, too, and either one of them would make sense for McVay to take a stab at.

For now, we'll keep an eye and ear out for any news regarding Stafford and the Rams agreeing to a new deal.