As seen by his gift of an autographed Stafford jersey to a Lions fan who sold it to take his daughter to the Lions’ playoff game versus the Washington Commanders, former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford still has a soft spot for Detroit. He joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, though, and he appears ready to play in the NFL for at least another season.
It is now anticipated that Stafford will eventually be replaced by a quarterback who has a lot of starting experience but hasn’t yet made an impression.
Former quarterback for the Detroit Lions At the Heart of Trade Talk Once More
NFL analyst and expert Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports offers a list of offseason quarterback trade blockbusters in a piece published on January 28. Even if some teams could choose college quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft to cover their quarterback shortages, that class isn’t the best in terms of signal-callers, so it’s reasonable to assume that a number of experienced quarterback trades may take place over the summer.
“A number of high-profile starters are on track to become free agents in March, and a number of others could also be available via trade,” Benjamin says in the story. Benjamin’s total includes 17 quarterbacks who were traded to other teams.
Daniel Jones, a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and former New York Giants, will join the Rams as a replacement for Stafford in the future, according to Benjamin. Although he doesn’t believe Jones will take Stafford’s position immediately, Benjamin argues that Rams coach Sean McVay will want to lead Jones to success.
Benjamin stated in the story that “Matthew Stafford is the undisputed starter if he returns, but he’s soon to be 37.” “Sean McVay needs a younger arm to grow, and he has previously supported reclamation projects (like Baker Mayfield).”
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the former Lions quarterback does not yet have plans to retire, despite the fact that he will turn 37 in February. He has two options: stay with the Rams or go. Additionally, Stafford and the Rams still need to reach an agreement, according to Rapoport.
From The Insiders in Mobile: According to sources, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford intends to return and play in 2025, but a deal would probably need to be negotiated, Rapoport said in a post on X on January 29.
After the Rams’ playoff defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, Stafford reinforced same opinion. Stafford informed reporters at a news conference following the game that he would “take some time to think about” retiring and that “I feel like I was playing some pretty good ball.”
Stafford expressly responded, “Sure feels like it,” when a reporter asked him whether he still had football left in him.
Last summer, Stafford signed an amended contract with the Rams, which has a $49.66 million cap hit.
The Honolulu Blue quarterback trade proposal is rejected.
Benjamin makes no mention of any QB trade rumors involving the Detroit Lions in his article. Naturally, Goff is out of the running, but there has been speculation in the NFL community that backup quarterback Hendon Hooker would be dealt.
But according to John Maakaron’s February 2 piece for Sports Illustrated, that isn’t taking place.
According to people familiar with the issue, new offensive coordinator John Morton is particularly interested in the quarterbacks on the Lions’ roster, including Hooker. “Those close to Hooker expect him to stay in Motown to continue his development,” he said.
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