We are just about two weeks out from the NFL trade deadline, which means the rumor wheel will be turning at an all-time high, especially for the Los Angeles Rams and some of their aging stars, including Matthew Stafford.
Star wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been a player of conversation for weeks as a potential trade candidate, depending on the Rams record at the trade deadline.
NFL Insider at The Athletic, Dianna Russini, confirmed this morning on the Dan LeBatard Show that the Rams are “definitely open” to trading Kupp and would potentially be willing to take on some of his salary to make the move.
If they did indeed move on from fan-favorite Cooper Kupp, what would be the point of hanging on to QB Matthew Stafford and his rather large cap hit over the next two years?
Well a new rumor has since emerged, and from an unlikely place.
Jack Settleman of Snapback Sports is not an NFL Insider, so we are working to verify this. However, according to him, the Rams have been in conversations with the Minnesota Vikings about a Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford trade.
Could Matthew Stafford Get Traded To The Vikings?
Ironically enough, the Rams and Vikings play each other on Thursday Night Football.
Related: Minnesota Vikings Injury Report Heading Into Matchup With Rams
Our friend Jake Ellenbogen states that the Rams do have an interest in Sam Darnold as an option to succeed Matthew Stafford.
We also spoke about this exact scenario on the Rams LAFB Show 2 weeks ago.
There are a lot of factors that would have to play out in order for this to happen. One being, most likely the Rams would have to lose their next two games which would put them at 2-6 at the trade deadline.
Remember, last year’s 3-6 squad turned it around and made the playoffs, but I think it is safe to say that last year’s team was playing much better than this year’s iteration at this point. And last year’s team had Aaron Donald on defense.
The Vikings would also have to feel, without a doubt, that Stafford would give them a better shot to win the Super Bowl than Sam Darnold, who is playing really good football right now.
In terms of long-term, this deal actually makes a lot of sense for both teams.
The Rams would get a 27-year-old Darnold who is only on a one-year deal. They could sign him during the offseason on their own terms and build around him. Or they could decide to scrap it altogether and go find their quarterback of the future in the 2025 NFL Draft and be off the hook for any large contract.
Also Read: Read The Latest Cooper Kupp Trade Rumors
For the Vikings, at this moment, JJ McCarthy is still the QB of the future. Getting Stafford (who has two years left on this deal) would allow them to be a top contender for the next two seasons and allow McCarthy to come along slowly and then take over the team going into this 4th season. Without that protection, they will either need to re-sign Darnold or throw McCarthy into the fire coming off of a season-ending rookie campaign.
Also, it would be a fairly seamless transition for both quarterbacks as both Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell run extremely similar offensive systems (KOC was McVay’s offensive coordinator during the 2021 Super Bowl season with Matthew Stafford being his QB).
At this point, this is just a rumor. Will it happen? If any franchise is known for making wild deals at the trade deadline it is the Los Angeles Rams, so anything is possible at this point.