‘Monumental’ Trade Idea Has Former Lions QB Matthew Stafford Leaving the Rams

Getty A "monumental trade idea" has former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford getting traded out of L.A.

The Detroit Lions inched out a victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field on Sunday, September 8, with a 26-20 overtime win. The game saw former Lions and current Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford back in Detroit for his second time ever with Los Angeles. While the season is early, one NFL writer and expert is encouraging the Los Angeles Rams to consider a “monumental Matthew Stafford trade” if the 2024 “season goes south.”

‘There Should Be No Bad Blood’ if Rams and Stafford Part Ways

In a September 10 feature for Ramblin’ Fan, Lou Scataglia writes that “the LA Rams are already injured to dangerously significant levels, and shades of 2022 are beginning to pop up.”

“The Rams accomplished what they set out to do by trading for Matthew Stafford, so any success after that is just sprinkles on top,” Scataglia stated in the article. “They got Stafford to try and win the Super Bowl, and they did. They also made the trade knowing that he’s aging into his 30s and is not a long-term solution. So, if the 2024 NFL Season ends up being a lost one for the LA Rams, they should see if there are any teams out there in a position to make a run who could acquire Stafford.”

Scataglia added that the upcoming trade deadline “could end up going down as the most consequential trade deadline move in NFL history, and to a degree, the Rams would be doing right by Stafford if the season is lost.”

He continued, “There should be no bad blood under any circumstances when the time comes for the Rams and Stafford to part ways, and a 2024 trade deadline trade would be a possible scenario here.”

Elsewhere in the article, Scataglia wrote that Stafford was “clearly in the back-nine of his maybe-Hall of Fame career” and that it’s “not crazy to think that Stafford, who has a wife and kids, has considered retirement in the near future.”

This isn’t the first time the idea of Stafford being traded to another NFL team has surfaced. In a September 5 article on the top 2025 NFL free agency landing spots for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, published before Prescott inked his big deal with Dallas on September 8, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox stated that he believed Prescott would be a good fit for the Rams heading into the 2025 NFL season.

In the piece, Knox noted that even though the Rams have Stafford under contract through 2026, “Stafford’s contract situation will get very interesting after this year. When Stafford agreed to restructure his deal in July, he essentially surrendered his 2025 guarantees to secure more guaranteed money upfront.”

Matthew Stafford Comments on Return to Ford Field

Following the Ram’s loss to the Lions in the 2024 NFL season opener, Stafford was also asked about the atmosphere at Ford Field during the game. He had some positive things to say about his old stomping grounds, despite getting booed.

“(The atmosphere) was good,” he said. “I thought it was a fun place to play. The crowd was into it. Obviously, a great football game helps make the crowd get into it — back and forth all day. So, it was a good atmosphere.”