NFL rumors: Rams trying to trade former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford?

Two years after acquiring him in an all-in move, the Los Angeles Rams are apparently trying to trade former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Two years ago, as he made it known he wanted no part of another rebuild, the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. Both sides can call the deal a win, as the Rams won a Super Bowl in Stafford’s first season and the Lions got a first-round pick in 2022 and 2023.

After the Rams’ disaster of a 2022 campaign, the Lions will glady pick sixth overall in April and do so not due to their own ineptitude. On the Rams’ side, that dismal season has left them on the back end of their “f-them picks” roster building with a price to pay.

Stafford was by all accounts very injured last season. Retirement was out there as a possibility, but he dismissed it. The Rams are headed for a tough stretch of years though, and a lot of things may be on the table.

Coming out of the NFL Combine, Matthew Berry of NBC Sports dropped this Stafford nugget.

"Asking about Matthew Stafford, I was told “The guy could barely throw last year. Retirement is still not out of the question.”"

Former NFL general manager says Rams are actively trying to trade Matthew Stafford

Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi was on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday.

"Matt Stafford is fully available,” “Matt Stafford, they’re trying to trade, they would love to trade him, but they can’t do it because he’s got $57M guaranteed.”His contract, he’s got I think $26M of an option bonus on the third day of the league year and he’s got $31M in paragraph five on the third day of the league year. All of that is guaranteed. When I say guaranteed, that’s for skill and injury. It doesn’t matter if he can’t play or not,” said Lombardi. “He’s got $57M coming to him no matter what. What are the Rams going to do?"

As Lombardi pointed to, Stafford’s contract is incredibly prohibitive to a trade. He only has a $20 million cap hit for this year, before it jumps to $49.5 million in 2024. But a trade (before June 1), with that $26 million option bonus layered in for an acquiring team to pick up or not before the third day of the league year, would give the Rams a $74 million dead money hit for 2023.

Lombardi dismissed the easy skepticism or blowback, despite a Stafford trade patently being unlikely.

"They’re trying to get out from it. I don’t really want to hear the b*llshit that, ‘Oh, we’re not trying to trade him.’ Yes you are. You’ve called teams. I know this.”"

The Rams may want to trade Stafford, and they’ll may be willing to do whatever is feasible to get it done even if it means taking on massive dead money. But the list of even remotely possible suitors is very short, and that leaves aside the questions about his health or retirement being a lingering possibility.