Matthew Stafford to the Giants might occur.
There are plenty of causes the Rams’ quarterback wouldn’t find yourself in New York, too, even when L.A. traded him.
However the door isn’t shut on the Large Apple, it appears. No less than that was one NFL supply’s opinion this week.
Would Stafford even need to play for the Giants?
“Yes,” stated the supply, who just isn’t related to Stafford’s camp.
It may very well be Stafford’s finest path to at least one last payday at age 37 that validates his standing and persistently excessive degree of play within the skyrocketing trendy NFL wage market.
His $40 million per 12 months cap hit solely ranks fifteenth amongst NFL QBs, even supposing he was a half-second away from practically toppling the eventual Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles on the highway within the snow throughout these playoffs.
Stafford might additionally conceivably have a better opinion of the Giants’ roster than most because of Malik Nabers’ rookie 12 months promise, with Cooper Kupp’s imminent departure from the Rams taking away one in all his closest teammates and favourite weapons.
And whereas Giants GM Joe Schoen promised “no Hail Mary’s” out of self-preservation this offseason, Stafford unquestionably is the quarterback who would offer the Giants with their highest ceiling for the rapid 2025 season amongst these probably accessible.
So including Stafford may simply be Schoen and Brian Daboll’s finest path to creating it 12 months 5 of their contracts, even when it weren’t the savviest long-term funding.
Then once more, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter stated on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast Thursday that the Rams at present “have sensed and believe that they think they can get it worked out” with Stafford on a brand new contract.
For now, “their first priority, their interest is in re-signing Matthew,” Schefter stated. “And I think Matthew would like to be back in L.A.”
So if their numbers find yourself not matching and talks break down, then commerce eventualities would come into play. It’s simply not there but.
That is all hypothetical, in fact. Each Stafford and the Rams would have a extra profitable season in the event that they ran it again in Los Angeles, and each events should know that.
Nonetheless, whispers of some friction about Stafford’s Rams contract circulated early. Schefter reported just lately that the Giants have been hiring former Jaguars and Payments receivers coach Chad Corridor, who simply so occurs to be Stafford’s brother-in-law.
Then Stafford’s spouse, Kelly, left their future within the NFL open-ended in a quick touch upon her ‘Timeout’ podcast.
“God knows where we’ll be, but hell – here we go,” she stated in the course of the podcast’s Tremendous Bowl episode.
Stafford is simply scheduled to make $27 million in 2025 and $31 million in 2026 between salaries and roster bonuses. The $63 million absolutely assured on the extension he signed in 2022 is also dwarfed, for instance, by Trevor Lawrence’s $142 million absolutely assured with the Jaguars, per overthecap.com.
And though contracts like Lawrence’s should not instantly similar to Stafford’s as a result of Lawrence is youthful and signed his contract years later, there’s a hierarchy of validation within the NFL that issues to gamers and locker rooms.
The Rams have a excessive opinion of Stafford, who led them to a Tremendous Bowl, and at all times have. However there’s additionally no good time to maneuver on from a great participant as he ages.
And in the event that they’re hesitant about overcommitting no matter cash and years Stafford is searching for to a quarterback who can be 40 by the tip of his new deal, securing a king’s ransom in return to reset at QB and throughout the roster might speed up the staff’s subsequent part.
Stafford additionally has been a part of facilitating a mega-trade as soon as earlier than, when the Detroit Lions did proper by him and swapped Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff in March 2021.
Schefter shot down any rumors on Thursday, although, that the Giants would come with their No. 3 total decide as a part of any hypothetical Stafford commerce. They want it, in spite of everything, to improve the roster – whether or not it’s with a younger developmental quarterback like Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward or a place participant like edge rusher Abdul Carter or nook Travis Hunter.
“Let me be very clear: that pick is not in the conversation if Matthew Stafford and the Rams can’t get a deal worked out — and if Matthew Stafford becomes available and all of a sudden the Giants surface as a contender,” Schefter stated. “If all those things happen … there is no way in hell that the Giants are giving up the third overall pick for Matthew Stafford. Zero. zero.”
That doesn’t imply Schoen wouldn’t commerce a future first-round decide for Stafford, although. In any case, the Giants’ 2026 first-rounder may very well be the following GM’s drawback.
Not that the Giants might merely stir Stafford into their present offense and instantly succeed.
One NFL supply cautioned that if the Giants needed Stafford, the group must “make more of a commitment to the offensive line” to guard Stafford manner higher than the Giants have protected their quarterbacks of the previous.
They’d even have to regulate Daboll’s scheme to take much less stress off of the QB to do all the things and supply extra construction for the veteran to sling the ball principally from the pocket.
Might they do this in a single offseason whereas surrendering belongings and draft picks so as to add Stafford to their present staff? Their monitor report says no.
These are determined instances, although. Stafford is a superb participant and a winner. The Giants have let too many nice gamers and too many winners go away their staff just lately. They usually want a quarterback within the worst manner.
So if Stafford and the Rams can’t strike a deal, a flirtation with the Giants isn’t that massive of a stretch.
DABOLL’S SON LEAVES GIANTS STAFF
