The Matthew Stafford trade market continues to heat up, especially with GMs, coaches and agents all in the same place at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked heavily to Stafford, but the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac shot down those links on Monday, stating that the Steelers haven’t contacted the Rams about Stafford nor spoken to the veteran quarterback, who has permission to contact other teams.
Two teams have shown significant interest in Stafford, though. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants, among other teams, have shown “significant interest” in Stafford, which should lead to the Rams driving up the asking price for the 37-year-old quarterback.
Stafford turned 37 on Feb. 7 and is entering his 17th season in the NFL after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Georgia to the Detroit Lions. He’s spent the past four years in Los Angeles and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021.
Reports on Monday indicated that Stafford is seeking $50 million per year in a new contract to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks — inside the top 10 but not the highest — in the NFL. Though Stafford reportedly doesn’t want to be traded and leave the Rams, the issues regarding the contract have led to the Rams allowing him to contact other teams, which could lead to a potential trade.
The Raiders are in need of a quarterback after hiring veteran head coach Pete Carroll. Though there are some connections there to free agent quarterback Russell Wilson, minority team owner Tom Brady could try and swing big for Las Vegas and go after Stafford, who could elevate the Raiders.
Based on a report from NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, it sounds like the Raiders angle is real, with Brady reportedly hosting Stafford at his home in Montana, where they spent time skiing.
The Giants, on the other hand, desperately need a quarterback after the Daniel Jones experiment didn’t work out for GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Both of them are now on the hot seat and need to find an answer at quarterback with receiver Malik Nabers on a rookie contract and a good defense on the other side of the football.
It seems unlikely that the Rams will ultimately trade Stafford, especially with head coach Sean McVay stating on a podcast that he wants Stafford back and hopes everything works out contract-wise. But if Stafford is moved, it seems like a good bet the team he lands with is the Raiders or Giants, as Russini is reporting they have significant interest.
