NFL Rumors: Rams' Matthew Stafford Given Permission to Talk to Teams Amid Giants Buzz

Amid rumblings that the New York Giants could pursue Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams aren't standing in the way of the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback speaking to other teams.

On The Rich Eisen Show (starts at 1:44 mark), NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said the Rams have given Stafford's agent permission to talk to clubs in an attempt to gauge what the cost could be to sign the 37-year-old to a new contract.

Pelissero did note the "priority" seems to be for Stafford to be back with Los Angeles in 2025, and these talks will provide an avenue for the Rams to determine what his value is within the NFL right now.

The Giants are in desperate spot this offseason with head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen likely under tremendous pressure to field a competitive team coming off back-to-back losing seasons.

New York's situation is also complicated by the fact it has no quarterbacks under contract for 2025. Drew Lock, Tim Boyle and Tommy DeVito are all set to become free agents next month.

The Athletic's Dan Duggan noted on Thursday the Giants' rumored interest in Stafford "makes perfect sense," particularly if they aren't married to the idea of selecting a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft.

ESPN's Adam Schefter recently noted there is "no way in hell" the Giants would trade the third overall pick for Stafford, but it may not even come to that because the Rams would like to bring him back.

Stafford and the Rams have been at a standstill regarding his contract for the past year. He did agree to an adjusted deal in July around the time training camp began that included $23.5 million in guaranteed money last season.

There will almost certainly be a resolution to Stafford's contract situation this offseason, one way or another, as his current deal carries a $49.7 million cap hit in 2025.

Giants quarterbacks finished last in the NFL in passing touchdowns (15), 30th in rating (77.8) and 29th in completion percentage (61.9) last season.

Stafford threw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and a 65.8 completion percentage in 16 starts for the Rams in 2024. His 64.7 QBR ranked 12th out of 32 qualified quarterbacks.