Rams grant Matthew Stafford permission to speak with other teams about his trade value

Matthew Stafford has not requested a trade, but has been granted permission to speak with other teams about his value

Could Matthew Stafford be traded by the Los Angeles Rams?

While that idea seemed unbelievable a few weeks ago, today it is one step closer to reality.

According to multiple reports, the Rams have permitted Stafford’s representatives to speak with teams about his potential value on the trade market. It is important to note that Stafford has not requested a trade, but now the team has opened the door to his representatives speaking with other teams about a potential deal.

Stafford and the Rams advanced to the playoffs this season after winning the NFC West, and knocked off the fifth-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. Los Angeles advanced to the Divisional Round, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

According to reporting from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the team as well as Stafford believe that by gauging interest for him on the open market, the Rams and Stafford can come to a better understanding of a potential contract extension for him in Los Angeles.

However, this comes at an interesting time, given the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. In a few days the NFL world will descend upon Indianapolis and the foundations will be laid for the eventual trades and free agency deals that follow next month. And with questions about this quarterback class beyond Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, there is likely to be significant interest in Stafford around the league.