This is a big offseason for the Los Angeles Rams for one simple reason: Matthew Stafford’s future is very much up in the air.
After reworking his contract last summer to essentially make it a one-year, $40 million deal for 2024, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back in L.A. as the Rams’ quarterback. In fact, there’s no guarantee he’ll be anyone’s quarterback next season.
Stafford, 36, said after the Rams’ season ended that he still feels like he can play at a high level, but the possibility of retirement looms large. He’ll be 37 in February, has already won a Super Bowl and though he’s still playing well, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he chose to retire this offseason.
The Rams can entice him to stay by offering a substantial raise in 2025, but even that might not be enough to keep Stafford on the field if he’s set on calling it a career. There’s also the possibility that if the two sides can’t come to terms on a new deal, Stafford will request a trade and play for another team.
It’s hard to imagine the Rams without No. 9 under center next season, but it’s a real possibility – and unfortunately, they don’t exactly have a good backup plan if they can’t keep Stafford in SoCal.
Where might Les Snead and Sean McVay turn if Stafford is out? Free agency is one option, with the draft being another. There’s also the trade market.
The common theme with all three? The Rams won’t find anyone who gives them a better chance to win a Super Bowl than Stafford.
Free agency
Let’s ponder free agency for a minute. Sam Darnold is projected to be the best available quarterback and he could command a sizable contract despite crumbling in his last two games with Minnesota. Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Zach Wilson and Jameis Winston will all be free agents, too.
Admittedly, it’s hard to get excited about any of those players, given their glaring weaknesses in one area or another.
It’s possible the Rams would make a strong push for Darnold if Stafford retires, knowing he’s the closest thing to a quality starter in this free-agent market. But then again, paying a player like Darnold – with one truly strong season – north of $35 million per year comes with major risks.
NFL draft
How about the draft? Unfortunately for a team like the Rams, this isn’t a good year to need a quarterback. There’s Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders, who are projected to be top-10 picks, and then a massive drop-off to the third-best quarterback. It’s likely we’ll only see two quarterbacks taken in Round 1 this year, and both will be out of reach for the Rams.
L.A. could take a chance on Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers or another mid-to-late-round prospect in hopes that they can be Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson and contribute right away as a rookie. That’s highly unlikely, though.
The draft is a good avenue for the Rams if they want to select a young quarterback to develop behind Stafford or another veteran for a year or two. It probably won’t yield a Day 1 starter, however.
Trade market
When it comes to trading for a veteran, it’s hard to find a logical option. No one expects Dak Prescott to be traded, even with a new (albeit, familiar) coach leading the way. Bryce Young doesn’t seem to be going anywhere after turning things around last season. Could Geno Smith be moved? Possibly, but he comes with his own limitations as a quarterback.
It’s tough to see the Colts trading Anthony Richardson, even after a tough first two years in Indianapolis.
Internal options
Internally, the Rams had two backups to Stafford last season: Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. It’s not out of the question for one of those two to take over at quarterback in 2025, but good luck selling fans on your Super Bowl hopes with either one of them under center. Bennett has yet to play an NFL snap and in the preseason, he looked overwhelmed by the speed of the game. And that was against backups.
Plus, Garoppolo is a pending free agent so the Rams would need to re-sign him.
Cut candidates
Lastly, Los Angeles could wait to see if Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr is cut. Rodgers had his moments of playing good football last season, as did Cousins and Carr. But with Rodgers and Cousins both nearing retirement, too, they’re by no means long-term solutions. And Carr, who will be 34 this year, is on the wrong side of the 30, too.
All this is to say the Rams are in a tough spot if Stafford decides to retire or request a trade. None of the possible replacements for Stafford will be an upgrade and the Rams would rather not wait for a rookie to develop, given their wide-open Super Bowl window right now.
Their title chances hinge on this decision by Stafford, which McVay hopes to have clarity on “sooner than later.”
For now, they wait.
