Former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is once again the subject of trade discussions.
If Stafford becomes available in a trade during the offseason, he would be highly sought after.
It’s rare to find a veteran quarterback with a Super Bowl victory who continues to play at a high level, as Stafford has shown over the past season.
Given this, it’s no surprise that NFL insiders suggest Stafford could leave the Rams for one final run with a different team.
Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst, shared his thoughts on where Stafford might end up this offseason.
On NFL Live, Orlovsky mentioned that Stafford would be the “first” person he’d contact if he were filling a quarterback vacancy with the Las Vegas Raiders.
He also highlighted the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers as possible destinations for Stafford.
“I think the first call I would make would be to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams to figure out what Stafford’s plans are,” Orlovsky said on the January 28 edition of the show. “Is he going to play? Is he going to retire? Do they want him back?”
He then suggested that the Giants and Steelers, along with the Raiders, would be teams where Stafford could make a significant impact, stating, “Honestly, if I were the Giants, if I were the Steelers, if I were a lot of teams that would be my number one call. Try to see kind of what the plan is for Matthew Stafford.”
While the Steelers already have quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, making a trade for Stafford less likely, the Giants and Raiders are in need of a veteran leader, and Stafford could provide just that.
In the 2024-25 season, the former Detroit Lions QB threw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Under his leadership, the Rams clinched the NFC West division title and won their Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings, but were eliminated by the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round.
Stafford was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009 as the No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia.
After spending 12 years with the Lions, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in a major deal that sent Jared Goff to Detroit. Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals during his first season in L.A.
At 37 years old, Stafford is approaching the age when many quarterbacks retire, but he hasn’t shown signs of being ready to step away from the game.
After the Rams’ loss to the Eagles, Stafford said he would “take some time to think about” retirement.
He also mentioned, “I feel like I was playing some pretty good ball,” hinting that he might not be done yet.
When asked if he had more football left in him, Stafford replied, “Sure feels like it.”
Stafford signed a revised contract with the Rams last summer, and his cap hit is set at $49.66 million.