Rams Exec Denies That They Shopped Matthew Stafford In Trade Talks

Rams COO Kevin Demoff on the 11 Personnel podcast that they didn’t actively shop QB Matthew Stafford in trade talks this offseason as had been previously reported. 

“Those conversations frustrated me because I think it’s trying to inject narratives that aren’t there,” Demoff said, via RamsWire.com. “I know there are reports that we tried to trade Matthew. We were not actively trying to trade Matthew. I know Les has rebuffed that before. It’s just not the case. I think if you wanted to be in the reality of the NFL, there are 10 teams this year, at least, that are going to have different quarterbacks. We were obviously aggressive in remaking our roster in March. It would be naive to think that people didn’t inquire about what was going to happen with the player who the year before won the Super Bowl. It’s different than whether people inquire, whether there are casual conversations.”

Demoff clarified that while they weren’t shopping Stafford and they “value him highly,” but it’s also their job to take phone calls from interested teams. 

“He is a pillar, we value him highly,” Demoff said of Stafford. “Now, again, if someone did come in offering a ridiculous trade package, I think you owe it to your organization to listen the same way you would anyone. I think Les said people called about nine players during the offseason. That’s grown probably since that time.”

A recent report mentions that Stafford was unwilling to renegotiate his contract this offseason, which Demoff also denied them having interest in. 

“The part that frustrated me was this notion that we were trying to get away from the $59 million and that was the only way to do it through trade,” Demoff said. “That tells you that you didn’t have an understanding of the situation. Matthew’s dollars after 2022 were unguaranteed. We could’ve walked away this year, free and clear, for $0. No future money owed. So there was no need to restructure. If we wanted out of Matthew’s deal, we could’ve walked away. We didn’t have to trade him to relieve the $58.5 million. We could’ve just walked away. To me, that’s where there’s a fundamental understanding of what his deal was that drives the narrative, ‘Oh, we were desperately trying to get rid of that.’”

Former NFL GM Michael Lombardi reported on the The Pat McAfee Show the Rams attempted “with a lot of effort” to trade Stafford this offseason. 

“During this offseason before … I think it was the fourth or fifth day of the [offseason] when his option bonus was getting ready to kick in, they attempted with a lot of effort to trade him. Any team could have had him,” Lombardi said. “The problem is that you had to absorb the $59 million … and the Rams knew there was no way around the $59 million. They couldn’t get around it unless they traded him and somebody else took it.”

Stafford, 35, is a former first-round pick of the Lions back in 2009. He was in the final year of his five-year, $76.5 million contract when he and the Lions agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension back in 2017.

Stafford was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for QB Jared Goff and draft picks in 2021. He signed a four-year extension worth $160 million that includes $135 million guaranteed back in March and is set to earn a base salary of $1,500,000 to go along with a $12 million signing bonus in 2022. 

He’s due base salaries of $1.5 million and $31 million over the next two seasons. 

In 2022, Stafford appeared in nine games and completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed for nine yards and another touchdown.