Former Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford has reportedly been granted permission by the Los Angeles Rams to explore a trade to other NFL teams.
Since the end of the 2024 regular season, there has been considerable speculation about the veteran quarterback’s future in Los Angeles. The 37-year-old is likely seeking more money on his contract and may have been displeased when his friend and wide receiver Cooper Kupp was informed that he would no longer be part of the Rams organization.
“I will say the trading away of Cooper, I guess I’m just a little, I’m confused. Because we were one play away from going to the NFC Championship, and I think if we go, we win,” wife Kelly Stafford said on her podcast. “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’m good. I would move my family. Yeah, that might be tough. First month, hard. After that, turns out, I like my kids to learn how to be resilient.”
Many analysts have been left puzzled as to why the Rams, who were so close to the Super Bowl, would let such a talented quarterback leave.
One of those critical of the Rams is Kurt Warner, who questioned why an essential player would not be wanted by a team that had won a Super Bowl with him as the leader of the offense.
“I think so much of decisions like that become do you feel that your team can be competitive for the next couple of years?” Warner explained to talkSport, via Rams OnSI. “Matt Stafford, he’s a top-five, top-seven quarterback in the league at this point, no matter where you want to stack him up.”
The Rams may be heading toward a rebuild, and recent roster moves may signal to Stafford that the team is not preparing to contend for meaningful victories in the near future.
“Do they feel like they’re not in that window?” Warner wondered. “But I look at this team and what they did this year, and they took the Eagles to the end with a chance to win. If I’m the Rams and I believe my window to win is right now, there’s no way I would even think about moving him.”
Stafford was selected No. 1 overall by the Lions in 2009 and played 12 seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Rams in March 2021.