Report: Los Angeles Rams give Matthew Stafford permission to speak with teams about potential trade

As rumors continue to swirl about Matthew Stafford’s future with the Los Angeles Rams, both sides are keeping options open. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Rams gave Stafford’s agent permission to speak with teams about a potential trade.

The “priority,” Pelissero said, would be to keep Stafford in Los Angeles rather than move on from him. However, contract talks also took place last year, and the veteran quarterback doesn’t have any guaranteed money on his deal as a result.

As a result, discussions are taking place about what’s next. Considering Stafford’s salary in 2025 compared to other top quarterbacks, Pelissero said conversations are taking place about multiple scenarios.

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“With Stafford, he’s only due $27 million in 2025, which is clearly below the line of what the top quarterbacks are making,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show. “And my understanding has been that the Rams have been in conversations with his agent, that 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 here? That takes care of multiple things. It takes care of No. 1, what Matthew Stafford could get if we got to a trade because you wouldn’t be able to execute a Matthew Stafford trade without having a new deal in place.

“But also, it gives the Rams an idea and Stafford an idea of, we’re going to try to to work together. Are we going to be able to work out a new contract to keep him in L.A.? It certainly sounds as if the priority is for Stafford to return to the L.A. Rams, but again, this went all the way into July, if not August, last year before they were able to work out a deal. We’ll see exactly what direction this goes. But to the point you made at the top, it would make sense for this to, one way or another, come to a head within the next few weeks here because everybody is going to need an alternative if they’re not able to work something out in L.A.”

Matthew Stafford’s contract ‘year-to-year’ situation

This past season, Stafford threw for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns as the Rams rattled off a run to the postseason. It was another strong follow-up for the former No. 1 overall pick after he made his second career Pro Bowl in 2023.

Last year, talks between the Rams went through July before a deal came to fruition. Pelissero said his contract is essentially a year by year situation given his age, and while it’s not uncommon, it still means conversations will take place each offseason.

“Last year, right at the start of training camp, I believe it was, he agreed to a new deal that actually wiped out his 2025 guarantees in exchange for a bump in 2024 that also included a $4 million roster bonus that’s due next month,” Pelissero said. “The idea was this was a year-to-year type of situation for Matthew Stafford. Anytime you’re giving up future guarantees – which almost never happens – you’re basically saying, hey, we’re going to kind of re-analyze this next year.

“This is something that Tom Brady, in the later stages of his career, was always doing with New England. There’s other examples of quarterbacks who just, you’re not going to make a long-term commitment from either perspective – from the team or the player. It makes sense from a cap perspective, as well as from a simplicity of continuing to maintain the relationship perspective, to analyze it every year.”

More on the Rams’ plans in 2025

The Rams’ situation is evolving as rumors swirl about Matthew Stafford. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp confirmed the franchise plans to either trade or release him, meaning a key playmaker is likely on the move.

At quarterback, though, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Los Angeles prefers to keep Stafford rather than move on from him. However, there could be a ceiling for the amount of money the Rams will pay.

“The people I’ve talked to with the Rams believe that they want to keep Matthew Stafford,” Fowler said on SportsCenter Saturday morning. “They want to work out a new contract. … He’s due $27 million in cash this year. He is underpaid and is still one of the top five to seven quarterbacks in the league, so they have to work something out.

“But the belief league-wide is that the Rams will have a threshold and a limit as to how far they’ll go with that money. He’s in his late 30s, some durability questions, so they’re going to have to try to find a sweet spot. If they can’t, then teams are interested.”