The trade deadline is approaching on November 5, and former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is popping up in conversations about which teams might make big trade moves. Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and helped them win a Super Bowl his first season with the team, is leading a 1-4 team right now, which is leading to more talk about the possibility of the Rams trading him away.
One NFL analyst says he believes Stafford could land with a team very familiar to the Detroit Lions.
Minnesota Vikings Could ‘Upgrade’ With Matthew Stafford, NFL Analyst Says
In an October 12 feature about the likelihood of Stafford getting traded before the upcoming trade deadline, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk named the Minnesota Vikings as a possible suitor for Stafford. The Vikings, of course, are in the NFC North, so this pitch would bring Stafford back to Lions territory.
“The Rams quarterback quite possibly is in his last season with the team, regardless of whether the Rams can reverse a 1-4 start,” Florio stated. “If the Rams might parlay the remainder of his 2024 contract into draft pick(s) and he could get a fresh start elsewhere, it makes sense to at least consider it.”
Florio admitted that when it comes to a Stafford trade, “the challenge becomes finding a new team.” That’s where the Vikings come in.
“If, for example, the Jets provided a blueprint for making (Vikings quarterback) Sam Darnold look mortal, the Vikings would be wise (if they lose to the Lions and then to Stafford’s Rams) to at least entertain the possibility of an upgrade,” he stated, adding that, “Coincidentally, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Stafford worked together for a year in L.A. And they both won a Super Bowl ring for their efforts.”
Florio added that in the end, he thinks whether or not Stafford gets traded to any team this season will be “driven by injury.”
“We’ve got four more weekends of football before the window closes,” he said. “One season-ending injury is all it takes for Stafford to have a new home. And for the Rams to get a nice return.”
Some Think the Matthew Stafford Trade Idea ‘Would Not Make Much Sense’
Not everyone agrees with Florio. Tony Liebert of Sports Illustrated shoots down the idea in an October 12 feature.
“Stafford is 36 years old and he has more than two years remaining on his 4-year, $160 million contract,” Liebert stated. “He won a Super Bowl in 2022, but given the Vikings’ current situation with Darnold on a team-friendly deal and J.J. McCarthy in the wings as the team’s future franchise QB, a deal to acquire Stafford would not make much sense.”
He added, however, that “Florio did mention how a Stafford trade could be driven by injury. If Darnold does go down, it could make sense at least a little sense for Minnesota to strike a deal as they’ve looked like one of the better teams in the NFC.”
Trent Koop of USA Today’s Vikings Wire calls Florio’s idea an “out-of-this-world take.”
“Sam Darnold has done everything the Vikings could possibly hope…and with getting star tight end T.J. Hockenson healthy, Darnold will have yet another weapon at his disposal,” he added.
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Former Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford Could Land With Familiar Team