Rams nearing a pivotal decision with Matthew Stafford, and trade options could be on the table

Matthew Stafford is 36 years old, and he doesn't have much time to lose in his career. Right now, the Los Angeles Rams are 1-4, failing to stay healthy and compete in the NFC West even if the San Francisco 49ers haven't been as successful as expected coming into the season.

Could that lead to a scenario where Stafford gets traded? While moving a top-level quarterback during the season is always a rare and difficult scenario to pull off, ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler doesn't think it's an impossible proposition. This is what he wrote:

^{"The Rams have looked at Stafford's future as a year-to-year proposition. His reworked contract last offseason reflects that, pushing his 2024 pay into the $40 million range but lessening his guarantees in 2025, essentially allowing both sides to decide whether they want to remain married at that point. This is a situation to watch closely, because neither player nor team seems to know how or when it will end. Stafford is 36 and has dealt with injuries recently. Does he want to play after this season?}

^{The Rams and their quarterback have several questions to answer, which are easier to put off if the team is winning. And maybe L.A. can regain its winning ways once Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and others return. It's also worth noting the Jimmy Garoppolo signing got the attention of some around the league, because Garoppolo could be an insurance option down the road. While interested teams are unclear, the Raiders have a glaring need at the position."}

Matthew Stafford is making $36 million in 2024 and is slated to make $31 million in each of 2025 and 2026. But as Fowler mentioned, he doesn't have much money guaranteed beyond this season. The only guaranteed part is a $4 million roster bonus, due to be paid on the third day of the new league year. If Stafford is traded, this amount goes to the new team.

Contract situation

If Matthew Stafford gets traded right at the deadline two weeks from now, the Rams would handle a $33.716 million dead money hit in 2024, but would still open up $12.45 million — the part of the base salary that would travel to the acquiring team.

Next season, the Rams would have $45 million in dead money — the hit from previous bonuses already paid that haven't hit the cap yet. Meanwhile, the acquiring team would have hits of $31 million in 2025 and 2026 — but only $4 million of these are guaranteed. Based on Stafford's production and on the state of the quarterback market, that's a fairly affordable deal.

Remaining questions

Stafford is 36 and has a good relationship with the Rams. So for him to get traded, it would have to be a circumstance that makes sense for everyone. The most quarterback-needy team in the NFL is probably the Las Vegas Raiders, but while playing alongside Davante Adams seems fun — if Adams himself is not dealt —, the Raiders don't seem to be in a competitive timeline that fits Stafford's.

So the question becomes who might trade for him. The Cleveland Browns have the cap space, but it's unlikely to foresee a scenario where they pay both Deshaun Watson and Stafford. The Tennessee Titans would make some sense, but they only have $13.4 million in cap space, so Stafford would have to adjust his contract to make a deal feasible.

Maybe, this is a conversation for the offseason. But it seems like every possibility is real for the Rams and Stafford at this point.

Without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp to start the season, Matthew Stafford is getting the worse numbers since the Rams acquired him from the Detroit Lions in 2021. Over five games, Stafford has three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 86.3 passer rating. Among qualifying quarterbacks, he is 28th of 36 in PFF passing grade.