6 teams that might make a trade offer for Matthew Stafford

With the Rams giving Matthew Stafford permission to gauge his trade value, here are 6 teams that might pick up the phone

In January of 2021 a trade involving Matthew Stafford rocked the NFL landscape.

Could that happen again?

That winter the Detroit Lions parted ways with Stafford, sending him to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal that included then-Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff. One could make the case that the deal worked out for both teams: The Rams went on to win a Super Bowl with Stafford, and the Lions turned the draft picks acquired in the deal into players like Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam Laporta, and built a division-winning team around Goff himself.

Now there is a chance that Stafford will be on the move again. The Rams have given his agents permission to speak with other teams regarding his potential trade value. To be clear this is not a situation where he has requested a trade, and while the belief is that this move will allow Stafford and the Rams to gauge a better understanding of his contract value.

Still, there is a chance that a team makes an offer that is hard for both the player, and the Rams, to ignore.

Here are some teams that might do just that.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Last year the Pittsburgh Steelers made a playoff run with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center.

But with both quarterbacks set to hit free agency, Pittsburgh may look to go in a completely different direction on offense. The Steelers have a playoff-caliber defense, and a talented rushing attack that would certainly benefit from having a quarterback of Stafford’s caliber stressing opposing defenses.

Plus, with the Steelers set to pick 21st in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they are likely out of range for the top quarterbacks in this draft class. Add in the cap space Pittsburgh is working with, and you have room to make such an offer to the Rams.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are in a fascinating position this offseason.

Tennessee holds the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but many believe the Titans could look at a position other than quarterback with that selection, and kick the QB decision to 2026. That would bring players like pass rusher Abdul Carter — who Daniel Jeremiah recently mocked to the Titans with the first-overall pick — and Travis Hunter Jr. into the mix.

But if the Titans had a chance to solidify the QB spot with a Stafford trade, without giving up the first-overall selection? That would be enticing for sure.

New York Jets

Having made the decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets are back in the QB game this offseason.

The Jets hold the seventh pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and they could see Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward fall to them in that spot, depending on how the rest of the NFL offseason unfolds. They could also wait on quarterback until Day 2 or Day 3 of this upcoming draft, see who emerges from Tyrod Taylor/Jordan Travis/Rookie QB to be named later, and potentially dip into the QB class next year.

But similar to Pittsburgh, the Jets have talent on their roster and might be interested in swinging for Stafford now. New York’s cap space position is not as strong as Pittsburgh’s — the Jets have just over $23 million according to Over the Cap — but playing in the New York City market does have its perks.

New York Giants

Speaking of which …

The New York Giants have a quarterback decision of their own to make. The Giants have been linked with draft quarterbacks throughout this offseason, and sitting third in the 2025 NFL Draft there is a chance their preferred option falls to them at that spot.

Still, when rumors of a potential Stafford trade first emerged, the Giants were the team linked with such a move. Colin Cowherd floated the idea of the Giants trading that third pick to the Rams earlier this month, a hypothetical that insiders such as Adam Schefter immediately dismissed.

“[T]here is no way in hell that the Giants are giving up the third overall pick for Matthew Stafford,” said Schefter.

Where there is smoke there is often fire. New York might not part with the third-overall selection for a 37-year-old quarterback, but they might make a different offer to the Rams.

Las Vegas Raiders

This might come down to how long Pete Carroll wants to wait to turn things around in Las Vegas.

The Raiders need a quarterback, have the second-most cap space in the NFL (behind only the New England Patriots) and sit sixth in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Perhaps they take a run at Shedeur Sanders — and minority owner Tom Brady has spoken highly of Sanders’ traits at the position — or if the opportunity presented itself, maybe the Raiders look for the immediate impact Stafford would provide.

Indianapolis Colts

Shortly after the 2024 NFL season ended Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard met with the media, and indicated that “competition” was needed at the quarterback position.

Indianapolis drafted Anthony Richardson with the fourth-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the Florida product has yet to live up to the hype coming out of college. Richardson’s rookie campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury, and he was benched in favor of Joe Flacco this past season.

“We’ve got to have competition at the position,” Ballard said after the season. “For one, for the fact that competition makes everybody better, and then two, [Richardson has] not proven he can play 17 games.

“We’ll bring who we think is the best guy we can bring in,” Ballard said back in January. “I’m not ready to target where it’ll come from or who it’ll be or what age they’ll be.”

With Stafford allowed to gauge his value on the trade market, one would expect Ballard to pick up the phone.