Top Trade Packages for Matthew Stafford as Rams Allow QB to Talk to NFL Teams
There are never enough franchise quarterbacks to staff all 32 NFL teams, and the teams that don’t have them are constantly searching—sometimes for years or even decades. This offseason, at least one could be available.
On Friday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero told the Rich Eisen Show that the Los Angeles Rams have given Matthew Stafford permission to speak with other teams about a potential trade.
Stafford was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and was effective again this past season, posting a 93.7 QB rating and helping L.A. reach the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Though he turned 37 earlier this month, Stafford remains an above-average signal-caller.
For teams that believe they’re a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention, Stafford should immediately become the top target of 2025. The Rams, though, won’t let their offensive centerpiece leave for proverbial pennies.
Here, we’ll examine Stafford’s situation, top potential suitors and realistic trade packages that the Rams would have to consider if a split with their quarterback starts to feel inevitable.
Stafford's Contract Situation and Expected Trade Value
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Before we dive into Stafford’s likely suitors and potential trade packages, it’s worth examining how we got to this point. The Rams aren’t actively looking to turn the page at quarterback, and Stafford isn’t trying to force his way out.
The challenge, for both L.A. and Stafford, is coming up with a new contract that works for both sides. Stafford surrendered the majority of his 2025 guarantees with last year’s contract restructuring, which essentially left the quarterback with a year-by-year contract. He and the Rams are still hoping to reach a new agreement, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
"It's up to those two sides to figure out a number that the Rams can live with that Matthew Stafford is more comfortable with that would enable him to continue and finish his NFL career with the Rams," Schefter reported on Tuesday (beginning at the 55-second mark). "That's the goal, I believe, of both sides. Now, that could change very quickly."
If the two parties can’t strike a deal, that’s when trade talks could get serious. For now, any talks with other teams are likely to be exploratory, with the goal being to determine a fair market rate for the signal-caller.
“They’ve also given his agent permission to talk to other clubs and just figure out, hey, if he became available, if there were a trade, what would the numbers be elsewhere?” Pelissero told the Rich Eisen Show.
By giving Stafford and his agent permission to speak with other teams, the Rams have also opened the door for other franchises to make offers. The question for any interested teams is what a reasonable asking price might include.
Stafford is nearing the back end of his career but is still operating like a top-10 quarterback. He also appears perfectly content to finish his career in L.A. if the right contract is in place. This means that the Rams aren’t likely to accept a package similar to the one the Green Bay Packers got for Aaron Rodgers two offseasons ago—which was centered around a first-round pick swap and a conditional second-rounder.
According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, “the belief” among league sources is that a full first-round pick will probably be the baseline asking price.
So, any team hoping to land Stafford must be willing to surrender a first-round pick, or similar value, and have the financial flexibility to offer him a substantial raise over the paltry $4 million in guaranteed money left on his deal.
Pittsburgh Steelers
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Steelers Get: QB Matthew Stafford
Rams Get: 2025 first-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers are probably the most obvious potential suitor. Pittsburgh made the postseason in 2024 and has a strong overall roster. However, the Steelers don’t have a long-term quarterback plan in place.
Russell Wilson stumbled down the stretch last season, and both he and Justin Fields are set to be free agency next month.
The Steelers are also one of the few teams that could justify parting with a first-round pick this offseason. While many other QB-needy teams will be picking early in the draft order—and unlikely to part with a top-10 selection—Pittsburgh’s first selection will come at 21st overall. Adding a high Day 3 selection could help get a deal done.
That’s a price Pittsburgh should be willing to pay if it means a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl in 2025. The Steelers have been talented enough to be in the playoff picture almost every year under head coach Mike Tomlin. However, they haven’t earned a playoff victory since the 2016 season.
Stafford could provide a significant upgrade over what the Steelers got from Wilson and Fields in 2024—though they would need to add other pieces to the puzzle to be true title contenders. Pittsburgh could use a strong No. 2 receiver opposite George Pickens, and it needs to find a way to solidify its offensive line.
With $50.7 million in projected cap space, the Steelers should have the cap space needed to sweeten Stafford’s contract—albeit with backloaded guarantees and bonus money—and add a few more difference-makers to the offense.
If the Rams are hoping to cash in ahead of the 2025 draft and/or move Stafford outside of their conference, talking to the Steelers would be a good place to start.
Tennessee Titans
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Titans Get: QB Matthew Stafford
Rams Get: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
The Tennessee Titans, who own the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, may not be willing to offer up their first pick for Stafford. However, they could offer their second and still give L.A. close to first-round value.
Tennessee’s second-round pick will come at No. 35 overall.
Adding a future second-round pick—which might not be particularly high if Stafford quickly boosts the team—might be enough to entice the Rams. Convincing Stafford to play for the league’s worst team would be another challenge, though the quarterback’s contract doesn’t include a no-trade clause.
While Stafford may not be particularly interested in Tennessee, acquiring him would make plenty of sense for the Titans. He’d be a strong fit for the offense of head coach Brian Callahan, who previously served under Sean McVay understudy Zac Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’d instantly fix Tennessee’s biggest offensive problem, and he’d give the Titans a chance to improve in a hurry.
While the Titans didn’t go 3-14 by accident last season, they do have some solid pieces in place. Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley and Chigoziem Okonkwo can help provide a functional skill group. Tennessee also had a defense that ranked second in yards allowed.
With the first pick in April’s draft, the Titans could add another impact player, like Colorado corner Travis Hunter, Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter or Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.
With Stafford in the fold, Tennessee could immediately become a factor in the AFC South. The Titans have $49.9 million in projected cap space, so theoretically, they could get it done.
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Las Vegas Raiders
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Raiders Get: QB Matthew Stafford
Rams Get: 2025 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, QB Aidan O’Connell
The Las Vegas Raiders, presumably, are hoping to open their playoff window immediately. Though the franchise went just 4-13 in 2024, the hiring of 73-year-old head coach Pete Carroll suggests that it isn’t eyeing a long-term rebuild.
Acquiring Stafford would instantly make Las Vegas relevant in the talented AFC West. The Raiders would still need to find a high-end running back and add another piece or two to their offensive line, but they do have some strong offensive pieces in place.
Left tackle Kolton Miller, tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Jakobi Meyers would give Stafford a chance to thrive early in Chip Kelly’s offense. With a defense that ranked a respectable 15th in yards allowed last season, the Raiders wouldn’t be too far away from having a complete team with Stafford behind center.
With $92.7 million in projected cap space, the Raiders could quickly round out their roster through free agency.
Las Vegas might not be interested in offering up the sixth overall pick in the draft for a 37-year-old quarterback, even a great one. That’s a selection that could net a potential franchise building block—or, perhaps, a quarterback of the future.
Draft prospects Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado are expected to be early first-round picks. However, neither is viewed as a “sure thing” or is expected to quickly make a middling team playoff-caliber.
Hypothetically, Las Vegas could sign on for two or three years of Stafford while developing Ward or Sanders for the future—as the Packers once did with Rodgers and Jordan Love.
That plan would make third-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell expendable, and he could be offered to L.A. as added insurance at quarterback. O’Connell hasn’t played well enough to suggest he can be a long-term quarterback, but with 17 starts on his resume and a career 85.1 passer rating, he could give McVay a decent bridge option.
Along with O’Connell, the Raiders could offer the 37th and 73rd overall picks in this year’s draft—the latter coming from the New York Jets as a result of the Davante Adams trade.
New York Giants
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Giants Get: QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp
Rams Get: 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
The New York Giants are in a position very similar to Las Vegas’. The Giants need a quarterback, and they’re looking to turn things around quickly. In New York’s case, the jobs of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen could hinge on a successful 2025 campaign.
"I've just about run out of patience," franchise co-owner and team president John Mara said in January, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Adding Stafford would allow the Giants to compete in the NFC East. New York has other offensive building blocks—including wideout Malik Nabers, tight end Theo Johnson, running back, left tackle Andrew Thomas and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.—along with a defense that ranked eighth in passing yards allowed last season.
Of course, the Giants are still missing the most important piece.
Like the Raiders, the Giants could make a play for Stafford and take a chance on a quarterback early in the draft for developmental purposes. This would give them a plan for the next few years and a succession plan for what comes after that.
New York could also consider using the third overall pick on a player like Carter or LSU lineman Will Campbell and dealing with a post-Stafford future when it comes.
To get a deal done, the Giants could offer the 34th and 104th overall picks in this year’s draft, along with a 2026 second-rounder. They could also agree to take Cooper Kupp and his $12.5 million base salary of off the Rams’ hands.
While the Rams may only be having cursory discussions about a Stafford trade, they’re actively looking to move Kupp this offseason.
“I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships,” Kupp said on February 3 in a statement.
While the Giants might not seem like viable championship contenders, that could quickly change with an offense centered around Stafford, Kupp, Nabers and Tracy.
This two-player trade might require some financial gymnastics by New York, which has $45.1 million in projected cap space. However, it would immediately return the Giants to relevance while erasing all of L.A.’s trade drama.
Minnesota Vikings
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Vikings Get: QB Matthew Stafford
Rams Get: 2025 first-round pick
With 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in the locker room, the Minnesota Vikings might not be front-runners for Stafford. However, there are two reasons why Minnesota can’t be completely discounted.
The first is that head coach Kevin O’Connell was Stafford’s offensive coordinator with the Rams in 2021. The second is the situation surrounding McCarthy’s recovery from 2024 knee surgery and Sam Darnold’s impending free agency.
Darnold, who helped Minnesota notch 14 wins in 2024, figures to earn a hefty contract in free agency. He’d earn $39.6 million if he returned for a year under the franchise tag. And while handing the keys to McCarthy is an option, it might not be the Vikings’ first choice to start 2025.
“I hear that J.J. McCarthy, who lost his entire rookie year to injury, still has significant work to do to rebuild his body, let alone adjust to the NFL,” Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post wrote.
Acquiring Stafford would give Minnesota another year or two to develop McCarthy before thrusting him onto the field. Theoretically, it would also give the Vikings a chance to improve on last year’s results.
While Darnold played well for most of 2024, he floundered in the wild-card loss to the Rams. Stafford has much more postseason experience and would likely get far more out of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson on the biggest stages than Darnold did.
With $58.6 million in projected cap space, the Vikings have the financial flexibility to put this QB succession plan into motion.
This would likely be a fairly straightforward trade. Minnesota could offer the 24th overall pick in the draft, giving L.A. its desired first-round compensation.
New York Jets
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Jets Get: QB Matthew Stafford
Rams Get: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 conditional second-round pick
The Jets are the biggest wild card on this list, for a couple of reasons. For one, New York may not be eager to add another aging quarterback after the Aaron Rodgers experiment was a total flop. Secondly, New York has to sort out a few things because it could realistically make the move.
The Jets currently have just $7 million in projected cap space. They’ll add $9.5 million if they release Rodgers with a post-June 1 designation, as most expect, and another $30 million by dumping Davante Adams.
Trading Rodgers to the Rams isn’t much of an option, as trading him before June 1 would cost the Jets $25.5 million in additional cap space. With L.A. already looking to move Kupp, it would likely have no interest in absorbing Adams’ contract.
Secondly, the Jets are highly unlikely to offer the seventh overall pick, and the 42nd overall pick isn’t as attractive as the second-round selections other teams could offer.
To get a deal done, the Jets might have to include a conditional 2026 second-round pick that could become a first-rounder under certain conditions—like an All-Pro campaign by Stafford and/or an appearance in the AFC title game. From an upside standpoint, that should get the Rams’ attention.
If new general manager Darren Mougey could make it all work, though, a play for Stafford would make sense. The Jets defense ranked third in yards allowed last season, while their offense features playmakers like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.
Stafford should also be a strong fit for the offense of new coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who served as the Detroit Lions’ passing game coordinator last season.
New York would have to address an offensive line that surrendered 40 sacks last season, but hypothetically, Stafford could become the missing piece to the playoff puzzle that Rodgers was supposed to be.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac
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