Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is considering the competitive Los Angeles Rams in his trading market, sources told ESPN on Friday.
While it’s not clear what the Rams can do with quarterback Jared Goff’s long-term contract on the books, they have questioned Stafford’s services and investigated what it would take to do something with Detroit, sources said.
Goff’s cut would cost the Rams $ 65.2 million in dead money; trade cost him $ 22.2 million. Goff signed a four-year, $ 134 million extension with $ 110 million pledged in the 2019 offseason after Goff and the Rams made a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Lions headquarters are familiar with the Rams ’salary cap situation. General manager Brad Holmes was a long-time Rams executive before joining GM in Detroit earlier this month.
Rams general manager Les Snead said earlier in the week that it would not be easy to get over the money invested in Goff but said that “anything can be done” in a salary allowance system when they will be asked if it would be possible to move on from the previous election at No. 1. Coach Sean McVay was also foolish in his public support for Goff, saying he is the “current” quarterback when asked recently about Goff’s status as a 2021 starter in Los Angeles.
And Goff was aware that the Rams would likely measure the quarterback ‘s choices this offseason, with some people around the league believing that Goff would welcome a fresh start elsewhere. Goff has 18,171 yards passing, 107 pass passes, 55 interceptions and 42 regular-season wins since he joined the league in 2016.
The Lions and Stafford agreed last week to separate. A source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Saturday night that the Lions would be looking for “fair market value” for Stafford, which is the licensing director in every major passing region.
NFL teams began reaching out to the Lions about Stafford earlier in the week, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Several teams are interested in Stafford, with multiples around the league believing the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers, among others, will be involved.
Stafford prioritizes the opportunity to compete for tournaments above all else in the process of finding a new NFL home, sources said.
Stafford Trading will mean $ 19 million in dead money for the Lions in 2021, saving Detroit $ 14 million in cap replacements for next season. There is also a date of all kinds as Stafford has a $ 10 million roster bonus payable on the fifth day of the new league year, which starts March 17th.
Watch teams could try to extend Stafford’s contract to cultivate long-term commitment.
Stafford leaves Detroit, every time he trades, after throwing for 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns with 144 catches. The Lions showed three playoff appearances with Stafford, losing in the wild card round three times.
Michael Rothstein and Lindsey Thiry at ESPN contributed to this report.