In the end, Matthew Stafford truly could be Brandon Aiyuk 2.0. Lots of trade smoke, plenty of speculation, but in the end, the best thing for himself and his current team is to stick together. After initially seeming like a divorce was inevitable, there’s new momentum that could lead the Los Angeles Rams and Stafford to working out a contract that keeps him right where he is.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicated as much Friday morning.
“From last night: A Matthew Stafford decision looms, and his return to the #Rams feels more likely to those involved. Nothing final. But clearly more likely than a few days ago when it appeared he was set to leave,” he tweeted.
The rumor mill has been busy (including feisty reporter source-offs) and a trade remains possible. The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are the two most likely destinations if Stafford’s moved with Pittsburgh still potentially in the mix but feeling like a distant third.
Other reporting indicates Stafford is meeting with head coach Sean McVay today in the hopes of agreeing to a new deal, a rare dynamic in which head coach and quarterback lead contract negotiations. The Rams had previously allowed Stafford’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, to gauge Stafford’s value with other teams, and it seems there’s interest.
But the Rams are in a Super Bowl window and turning to Jimmy Garoppolo or an external option, like Aaron Rodgers, would only make the team worse. For Stafford, uprooting his family at age 37 to play for a lesser-contending team doesn’t make sense.
It doesn’t make contract discussions any less tricky, but it provides both sides plenty of incentive to get a deal done. Nothing is final until pen and paper meet. But the hope is a resolution comes within the next week. And the odds are increasing it ends with Stafford remaining in L.A., allowing the rest of the quarterback market to sort itself out.
