The Rams had little choice but to blow up their roster this past offseason as the bill came due from their all-in 2021 Super Bowl season. While Bobby Wagner, Jalen Ramsey and several other key players left Los Angeles, the team reportedly remained adamant about not trading Matt Stafford.
This comes via a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL.com, who says the Jets reached out about Stafford before they acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. Apparently it was a short conversation.
“Talks between New York and Los Angeles were brief, simple and to the point. As two sources explained, the Rams were adamant Stafford wasn’t going anywhere. The talks between the two teams were more exploratory than anything else with L.A. showing no willingness to do a deal, but the Jets didn’t want to leave a stone unturned in their quest for a franchise QB.”
The Jets weren’t the only team to call about Stafford, though. It made some sense for the Rams to try to trade Stafford based on his age (he’s 35 years old heading into the 2023 season) and what’s now a pretty extensive history of minor injuries. He missed half of last year with several different issues and wasn’t himself when he was on the field. However, Stafford still represents their best chance to remain relatively competitive in a division with two teams that are clearly superior.
If Stafford does get injured again, the Rams will likely look to former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. He’s unavailable for today’s game against the Seahawks, though due to a shoulder injury.
More Seahawks Wire stories