During their run to three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in the last four seasons, quarterback Matthew Stafford was more valuable than perhaps any Rams player.
How much do other teams value the 16-year veteran?
The Rams have given Stafford and his representatives permission to speak with other teams about potential contract terms should the Rams trade Stafford, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.
Those parameters to seek market value differ from giving Stafford permission to seek a trade, said the person who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
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Stafford’s situation is the most pressing issue for a Rams team coming off a season in which Stafford passed for 20 touchdowns and led them to a 10-7 record. The Rams advanced to the NFC divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Stafford, 37, has two seasons left on the extension he signed in 2022 after leading the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. The deal reportedly included $120 million in guarantees, according to Overthecap.com.
But this is the second year in a row that the Rams and Stafford’s representatives have revisited Stafford’s deal, which is undermarket compared to quarterback contracts signed in the last two years.
Last year, the impasse between the Rams and Stafford lasted until the first day of training camp, and ended only when the Rams agreed to push $5 million forward from 2025, according to Overthecap.com.
Stafford this season is due to earn about $30 million in salary and bonuses — with $4 million guaranteed — on a salary-cap number of $49.7 million.
It is unknown what Stafford is seeking, and what the Rams are willing to pay, for him to happily return for a fifth season with the Rams and coach Sean McVay.
If the Rams were to trade Stafford, an immediate successor is not currently in place.
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, the back-up last season, was on a one-year contract and is a pending free agent. Garoppolo is familiar with McVay’s system, but at 33 he is not regarded as a long-range fix. Stetson Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, is not considered a candidate to start.
Sam Darnold, the former USC star who led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs, is among the pending free-agent quarterbacks.
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Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion and four-time NFL most valuable player, will be available. But at 41, he also would be a short-term solution for a team eager to build on their success in the draft the last two seasons.
Stafford ranks in the top 10 all-time in NFL passing yardage, completions and touchdowns.
Stafford is not the only Rams star player that could potentially be traded.
Receiver Cooper Kupp, the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year, announced on Feb. 3 that the Rams had told him they would seek to trade him.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
