McVay: Matthew Stafford Trade Eyed by Teams; Rams Unanimous in Keeping QB amid Rumors

Matthew Stafford has been involved in seemingly endless trade rumors since the end of the 2022 season, but the Los Angeles Rams have no intention of moving on from the veteran this year.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed Wednesday that teams reached out about a potential Stafford trade this offseason, but the franchise was "unanimous" in wanting to keep him on for at least one more season, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

"There was a consistent and unanimous dialogue and understanding," McVay said. "When that March deadline came in terms of him being due the bonus that he's deserved and that he's earned, we were all in unanimous agreement that we wanted him to be the quarterback."

He added: "I know I can certainly speak for all of us and say we're excited as hell about Matthew Stafford. It's been great to see him feeling good, and I'm certainly really glad he's our quarterback, and that's where we're at."

Stafford was also asked if the Rams reached out to his agent about a potential trade this offseason.

"I don't know what the technical term of it is," he replied. "But we had conversations on that kind of stuff and I'll leave it at that."

Rams COO Kevin Demoff suggested last week during an appearance on the 11 Personnel podcast (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire) that he thought the Stafford trade rumors were overblown:

"Those conversations frustrated me because I think it's trying to inject narratives that aren't there. I know there are reports that we tried to trade Matthew. We were not actively trying to trade Matthew. I know Les [Snead] has rebuffed that before. It's just not the case."

"I think if you wanted to be in the reality of the NFL, there are 10 teams this year, at least, that are going to have different quarterbacks. We were obviously aggressive in remaking our roster in March. It would be naive to think that people didn't inquire about what was going to happen with the player who the year before won the Super Bowl. It's different than whether people inquire, whether there are casual conversations."

The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2021 season and he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the franchise in 2022 after helping L.A. win Super Bowl LVI.

However, Stafford was plagued by an elbow injury during the 2022 campaign and was eventually ruled out for the season following a Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints. His injury status coupled with the franchise's 5-12 finish cast doubt into his future with the franchise.

If the Rams bounce back in 2023, it's reasonable to believe Stafford will remain on the team's roster in 2024. If they continue to struggle, then it's possible the franchise will move on from the veteran signal-caller.